Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA652
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 20, 2012 in Gulf of Mexico, GM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/06/2013
Aircraft: BEECH 95-C55, registration: N265Q
Injuries: 2 Minor.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
While on a cross-country flight, the pilot detected smoke in the cockpit. He attempted to identify the source of the smoke but was not successful. When the pilot saw flames behind the cockpit panel, he descended and ditched the airplane in the water. The pilot and passengers got out of the airplane and the airplane sank. Due to the depth of the water at the accident location, the airplane was not recovered. Without recovery of the airplane’s wreckage, further examination was not possible, and the source of the fire could not be determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
An in-flight fire, which resulted in the airplane’s forced landing in water. The source of the fire could not be determined because the airplane wreckage was not recovered.
On September 20, 2012, about 1545 central daylight time, a Beech 95-C55 airplane, N265Q, ditched into the Gulf of Mexico waters. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sank in deep water and was not recovered. The airplane was registered to and operated by Government Auctions Online LLC, Henderson, Nevada, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Baytown Airport (KHPY), Baytown, Texas, about 1400, and was destined to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Sarasota, Florida.
According to the pilot's statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while the pilot was en route to his destination, when he detected smoke in the cockpit. In an attempt to troubleshoot the smoke, the pilot turned off the master switch. Due to reduced visibility, the pilot vented the smoke by opening the cabin door and pilot’s storm window. The pilot and passenger saw flames through a gap between the cockpit panel and glare shield. The pilot activated the emergency locator beacon as he descended to ditch the airplane in the water. After ditching the airplane, the pilot and passenger exited the airplane, donned personal floatation devices, and were rescued by the United States Coast Guard.
Due to the accident location, the airplane was not recovered for an examination. Despite multiple attempts, the pilot did not complete an NTSB Form 6120. Information was not available to determine if previous maintenance issues were present. A review of the FAA Service Difficulty Reporting database did not reveal any entries for the accident airplane. Without recovery of the airplane's wreckage, an examination was not possible and the source of the fire could not be determined.
NTSB Identification: CEN12LA652
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, September 20, 2012 in Gulf of Mexico
Aircraft: BEECH 95-C55, registration: N265Q
Injuries: 2 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On September 20, 2012, about 1545 central daylight time, a Beech 95-C55 airplane, ditched into the Gulf of Mexico waters. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sank in deep water and was not recovered. The airplane was registered to and operated by Government Auctions Online LLC, Henderson, Nevada, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight plan. The flight originated from the Baytown Airport (KHPY), Baytown, Texas, about 1400, and was destined to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota, Florida.
According to initial statements collected by the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot was en route to his destination, when he detected smoke in the cockpit. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the smoke, and saw a fire behind the cockpit panel. The pilot then elected to ditch the airplane in the water.
HOUSTON—A pilot is talking about his, and a friend’s, survival after they both crashed into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It happened on Thursday about 28 miles east of South Pass.
Theodore Wright and his passenger had taken off from a small airport in Baytown and were on their way to Sarasota, FL. About halfway into the journey, something went terribly wrong.
The two men began noticing smoke in the cockpit. They soon saw what was causing the smoke when they opened the doors of the Beechcraft 55 Baron 11,000 feet in the air.
“It was about that time he yelled flames, flames, fire!” explained Theodore Wright. “The fire in the cockpit is the number one nightmare for a pilot.”
Wright said he had no choice but flip off the power and point toward the water.
“We bounced hard once. The next time we landed, the water stopped us pretty quickly,” said Wright. “Just about the time we were clipping his jacket on, we were about neck deep in water, airplane nose down first and the tail sticking out.”
They two spent more than three hours in the water. The situation increasingly became more dire.
“I don’t know if we were stung by jelly fish or Portuguese man of war. It was like a bee sting on our feet occasionally, two, three, four times a piece,” he recalled. “I’m watching the sun go down and I know we have only 30 more minutes of daylight, and I know if those guys don’t pick us out in the next 30 minutes, we’re spending the night there.”
It didn’t look good.
Before hope faded entirely, a custom and border patrol plane spotted the men. The Coast Guard was soon hovering overhead, hoisting the men to safety.
“I said they’re here, they’re here, and my friend [asked] where, where, where are they?[I said] 12 o’clock! It was an emotional moment for us,” added Wright.
Wright and his friend were taken to a Coast Guard Center in New Orleans. Both were sore, but escaped with no injuries.
Wright said he couldn’t be happier to be back home in the Clear Lake, TX, area. However, he is upset about what happened to his twin-engine plane. He was planning on using the plane to fly around the world and visit children who have cancer.
Wright said he still hopes to make that happen in 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment