NTSB Identification: ANC12FA095
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 31, 2012 in Homer, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/13/2013
Aircraft: BELLANCA 7GCBC, registration: N57511
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The airplane's wreckage was located about 10 miles from its departure point in the shallow waters of a river leading to the remote destination lake. At the accident location, the river is crossed by high-tension power lines. The lines were draped across the river from the high terrain on the south side of the river to the low terrain on the north side of the river. One of the power lines had been severed. All of the cables were marked with large orange marking balls, and the power lines are marked on the aeronautical sectional chart for the area.
Postaccident examination of the airframe or engine did not reveal evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane collided with the high-tension power lines and sustained substantial damage during impact with terrain. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. It is likely that the pilot did not see the power lines in time to avoid them.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to see and avoid high tension power lines.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On August 31, 2012, about 1500 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped, Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N57511, sustained substantial damage during an impact with terrain, following a collision with a high tension power cable spanning a river, about 12 miles southeast of Homer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight, under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. No flight plan was filed, and there is no record that a weather briefing was obtained. The flight originated about 1450 from the Beluga Lake Seaplane Base, Homer.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 4, a family member said the pilot was to ferry camping gear from Homer, to a remote lake southeast of Homer, and then return and pick up a passenger. After taking off to ferry the camping gear the airplane did not return to Homer.
INJURIES TO PERSONS
The solo pilot received fatal injuries.
DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT
The airplane received substantial damage to its fuselage and wings.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot age 66, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, and airplane single-engine sea. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate with limitations to wear corrective lenses on February 15, 2011.
No personal flight records were discovered for the pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed on page 3 of this report was obtained from a review of the airman’s FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center in Oklahoma City. On the pilot’s last application for medical certificate, dated February 15, 2011, he indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 2000 hours, of which 40 were accrued in the previous 6 months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a Bellanca 7GCBC, N57511, manufactured in 1973, and equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series engine.
No airframe or engine logbooks were discovered for examination, and the airplane was not recovered for further examination.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
Marginal meteorological conditions prevailed in Homer at the time of the airplane’s departure.
The closest official weather observation station was at the departure airport, Homer (PAHO), about 10 miles northwest of the accident site. At 1453, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) was reporting, in part: Wind 230 degrees (true) at 3 knots; visibility 3 statute miles with light rain; sky condition, scattered at 400 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet; temperature 46 degrees F; dew point, 46 degrees F; altimeter 29.72 inHg.
COMMUNICATIONS
After departing Homer no communications were heard from the accident airplane, and no air traffic control services were requested.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
During an on-site inspection of the airplane’s wreckage on September 1, the NTSB IIC noted that the terrain was a braided river valley, with steep rising terrain on the southwest side of the river, and gently sloping terrain on the northeast side of the river. Multiple high tension power cables were draped across the river from the high terrain on the southwest side, to the near level terrain on the northeast side of the river. One cable was severed and laying on the ground. The severed power line had large, orange, power line marking balls attached. The other intact power lines spanning the river were also marked with large orange power line marking balls.
The airplane was located in shallow water on a sandbar near the center of the braided river. It had impacted in a nose-low near vertical descent (60 plus degrees down). The wings were straight with wrinkling near both tips. The fuselage was broken and bent 90 degrees aft of the cabin. The empennage was intact. The vertical stabilizer had a large impact divot about mid-span of the leading edge that did not appear to be associated with terrain impact damage. Control continuity was established for all the flight controls.
The propeller blades showed torsional twisting and severe leading edge gouging, consistent with power at the time of terrain impact.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
A postmortem examination of the pilot was done under the authority of the Alaska State Medical Examiner, Anchorage, Alaska, on September 4, 2012. The examination revealed that the cause of death was attributed to severe blunt force injuries.
A toxicological examination by the FAA’s Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) on November 1, 2012, was negative for any alcohol or drugs.
ADDITIONAL DATA/INFORMATION
FAR 91.103 describes the pilot-in-command's preflight duties, and most pilots are intimately familiar with its wording: "Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight."
The Seward Sectional Aeronautical Chart, which covers the Homer area and the accident site, shows the electrical transmission lines crossing the river en route to the destination lake.
NTSB Identification: ANC12FA095
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, August 31, 2012 in Homer, AK
Aircraft: BELLANCA 7GCBC, registration: N57511
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
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.
On August 31, 2012, about 1500 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped, Bellanca 7GCBC airplane,N57511, sustained substantial damage during an impact with terrain, following a collision with a high-tension power cable spanning a river, about 10 miles southeast of Homer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, when the accident occurred. Marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. No flight plan was filed, and there is no record that a weather briefing was obtained. The flight originated about 1450 from the Beluga Lake Seaplane Base, Homer.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 4, a family member said the pilot was to ferry camping gear from Homer, to a remote lake southeast of Homer, and then return and pick up a passenger. After taking off to ferry the camping gear the airplane did not return to Homer. She said she did not believe the pilot had been to the lake before.
During an on-site inspection of the airplane’s wreckage on September 1, the IIC noted that the terrain was a river plain, with steep rising terrain on the southwest side of the river, a braided river valley, and gently sloping terrain on the northeast side of the river. Multiple high tension power cables were draped across the river from the high terrain on the southwest side, to near river level terrain on the northeast side of the river. One cable was severed and laying on the ground. The severed power line had large, orange, power line marking balls attached. The other intact power lines spanning the river were also marked with large orange power line marking balls.
The power lines were marked on the aviation sectional chart for the area.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 57511 Make/Model: 7GCB Description: BELLANCA 7GCBC
Date: 08/31/2012 Time: 2300
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: HOMER State: AK Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWERLINE AND CRASHED, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY
INJURED, NEAR HOMER, AK
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: ANCHORAGE, AK (AL03) Entry date: 09/04/2012
Courtesy Alaska State Troopers
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Girdwood man died when his plane hit power lines and crashed near Homer Friday afternoon, according to Alaska State Troopers.
AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen said the plane went down in shallow water on the east side of the Wosmesenski River, between China Poot Bay and Neptune Bay. The 7GCBC Bellanca's pilot, 66-year-old George Vonderheide, is believed to be its only occupant.
According to Ipsen, Vonderheide had filed a flight plan and was apparently following a river drainage en route to a lake when he crashed. Visibility was poor and the cloud ceiling was low at the time of the crash.
NTSB investigator Clint Johnson says the float-equipped single-engine plane crashed at about 3 p.m. Friday.
Troopers were on scene at the crash site Friday, while the NTSB planned to arrive by late evening or early Saturday.
Another Homer plane crash claimed the life of former state lawmaker Cheryll Heinze on July 11, when a Cessna 206 with five Matanuska Electric Association employees on board flipped in high winds while landing on Beluga Lake.
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