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NTSB Identification: ANC13FA001
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, October 07, 2012 in Aleknagik, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/12/2013
Aircraft: GRUMMAN G-44, registration: N139F
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 pilot of the twin-engine seaplane was en route to a remote lake to pick up passengers. A passenger who was awaiting pickup witnessed the accident and said that when the airplane arrived in the area, it made multiple passes over the lake and island where he was waiting. After the third pass, the airplane came into view very low over the water. The airplane banked to the left, and the left wing float struck the water. The airplane veered sharply to the left, bounced, and cartwheeled three times. The airplane came to rest, partially submerged, with its high-mounted wings level with the surface of the water. The witness was unable to reach the airplane due to the icy water, and the airplane subsequently sank in the lake and was not recovered. The witness did not see the pilot.
The witness reported that the weather conditions at the time of the accident consisted of calm wind, low clouds, light rain, and fog restricting the visibility. He further described the water as glassy. It is likely that, due to visibility and water conditions, the pilot misjudged the height above the surface of the lake during a low pass, resulting in the left wing float inadvertently contacting the surface of the lake.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's decision to make multiple low passes over the glassy surface water, which resulted in an impact with the surface of the lake.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On October 7, 2012, about 1645 Alaska daylight time, an amphibious Grumman G-44 airplane, N139F, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the surface of Tikchik Lake, about 50 miles north-northeast of Aleknagik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Freshwater Adventures, Dillingham, Alaska, as a visual flight rules, VFR positioning flight, under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Dillingham, about 1600.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 10, a local hunting guide who witnessed the accident, along with his client, were waiting for the accident airplane’s arrival for a return trip to Dillingham. He said that when the airplane arrived overhead, it made several passes over the lake and island where they were located. After the third pass overhead, the airplane came into view in front of their location very low over the water. He said the airplane rolled into a left turn, and the left wing float struck the water. The airplane then veered sharply to the left, bounced, and cartwheeled three times. After the accident, the airplane came to rest, partially submerged, with its high-mounted wings level with the surface of the lake. The witnesses were unable to reach the airplane in the icy water, and the airplane subsequently sank about 5 or 10 minutes after the accident. There was no sign of the pilot.
The witness reported that weather conditions at the time of the accident consisted of calm wind, low clouds, light rain, and fog restricting visibility over the lake. He added that the water was glassy at the time of the accident.
On October 9, the wreckage was located on the bottom of the lake in about 40 feet of water.
INJURIES TO PERSONS
The solo pilot received fatal injuries.
DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT
The airplane sank to the bottom of a lake, and has not been recovered.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot age 71, held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea, and airplane multi-engine land and sea. He was issued a first class airman medical certificate without limitations on April 23, 2012.
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 April 23, 2012, he indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 30,000 hours, of which he listed 0 hours were accrued in the previous 6 months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a Grumman G44, N139F, manufactured in 1944, and equipped with two Continental Motors IO-470 series engines.
No airframe or engine logbooks were discovered for examination, and the airplane was not recovered for further examination.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
According to a witness, calm wind, low clouds, light rain, and fog restricted visibility over the lake. He added that the water was glassy at the time of the accident.
The closest official weather observation station was at the departure airport, Dillingham, AK (PADL), about 68 miles south of the accident site. At 1553, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) was reporting, in part: Wind 070 degrees (true) at 5 knots; visibility 15 statute miles; sky condition, scattered at 1,300 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet; temperature 58 degrees F; dew point, 58 degrees F; altimeter 30.09 inHg.
COMMUNICATIONS
After departing Dillingham, no communications were heard from the accident airplane, and no air traffic control services were requested.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane impacted the surface of a remote lake and subsequently sank. A witness reported seeing the airplane cartwheel across the surface of the lake, after the left wing float touched the surface during a low pass over glassy water. Scuba divers located the wreckage in water about 40 feet deep, and recovered the deceased pilot. The wreckage has not been recovered for examination.
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 drowning.
A toxicological examination by the FAA’s Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) on December 12, 2012, was negative for any alcohol or drugs.
NTSB Identification: ANC13FA001
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, October 07, 2012 in Aleknagik, AK
Aircraft: GRUMMAN G-44, registration: N139F
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. 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.
On October 7, 2012, about 1645 Alaska daylight time, an amphibious Grumman G-44 airplane, N139F, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the surface of Tikchik Lake, about 50 miles north-northeast of Aleknagik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Freshwater Adventures, Dillingham, Alaska, as a visual flight rules, VFR positioning flight, under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed in the area of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Dillingham, about 1600.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 10, a local hunting guide who witnessed the accident, along with his client, were waiting for the accident airplane’s arrival for a return trip to Dillingham. He said that when the airplane arrived overhead, it made several passes over the lake and island where they were located. After the third pass overhead, the airplane came into view in front of their location and very low over the water. He said the airplane rolled into a left turn and the left wing float struck the water, and it veered sharply to the left, bounced, then cartwheeled three times. After the accident, the airplane came to rest, partially submerged, with its high-mounted wings level with the surface of the lake. The witnesses were unable to reach the airplane in the icy water, and the airplane subsequently sank about 5 or 10 minutes after the accident. There was no sign of the pilot.
The witness reported that weather conditions at the time of the accident consisted of calm wind, low clouds, light rain, and fog restricted visibility over the lake. He added that the water was glassy at the time of the accident.
On October 9, the wreckage was located on the bottom of the lake in about 40 feet of water.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 139F Make/Model: G44 Description: G-44 Widgeon (J4F)
Date: 10/07/2012 Time: 1712
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: TIKCHIK LAKE State: AK Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. TIKCHIK LAKE, AK
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 0 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: 10/09/2012
A small plane crashed on Tikchik Lake on Sunday and a hunting guide who saw it flip and sink told troopers no one got out, Alaska State Troopers report.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator says the pilot was the sole person on board and was killed in the crash.
The guide and a hunter were waiting for the plane, owned and operated by Fresh Water Adventures, to pick them up, said Larry Lewis, an NTSB investigator. The air taxi service is owned by the Ball family and based in Dillingham, according to the company website. A message left at the air taxi service was not returned.
Troopers haven't identified the pilot or described the plane. KDLG radio in Dillingham said family friends identified the pilot as Newt Ball, 71.
The plane that crashed was a Grumman Widgeon built in 1944. It's an amphibious, high-winged twin engine plane that, based on initial reports, may have had a hard landing on glassy water, Lewis said.
"We just have some basic observations by some witnesses. And it looks like he may just have landed hard and maybe caught a wing but we're not sure yet," the investigator said.
The guide saw the plane trying to land on the lake, then flip and begin to sink, troopers said. The guide didn't see anyone escape the aircraft. He also watched the area after the crash and didn't see anyone in the water, troopers said.
Neither troopers nor the NTSB immediately knew how far the plane was from shore and the hunter and guide, or how deep the water was. Troopers may use divers to recover it.
The lake is in Wood-Tikchik State Park about 63 miles north of Dillingham.
The hunting guide reported to troopers around 5:15 p.m. on Sunday that the plane had crashed.
Troopers say they have preliminary information regarding the aircraft and pilot but won't release it until a trooper can get to the scene and confirm what they were told.
The pilot was experienced, Lewis said. He had traveled on the Grumman, with the pilot, in 2010 to investigate the plane crash that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.
The witnesses reported glassy water on Tikchik Lake at the time of the crash, Lewis said.
"And glassy water landings are -- it seems odd -- but glassy water landings are some of the most difficult landings you can do in an amphibious airplane," Lewis said. "It presents some anomalies as far as depth perception goes." Special techniques are needed, he said.
Fog and darkness prevented troopers from getting to lake on Sunday and but the fog cleared by Monday afternoon, trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said.
A trooper based in Dillingman was headed to the scene, she said. Troopers planned to meet with the guide to get a more precise location on the lake and determine whether the plane could be retrieved, Lewis said. He was awaiting word on whether to go out to Dillingham.
Alaska State Troopers are responding to Tikchik Lake after a plane reportedly crashed in the lake Sunday night, with no sign that its pilot survived.
According to a Monday AST dispatch, a hunting guide told Dillingham troopers at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday that the plane had been attempting to land on the lake, about 63 miles north of Dillingham, when it flipped over and sank.
“No one was observed to exit the aircraft while it was sinking,” troopers wrote. “The guide watched the area of the incident and has not observed anyone in the water since the crash.”
Weather conditions, including darkness and fog, have blocked troopers’ efforts to fly to the lake and investigate the crash both Sunday night and Monday.
While troopers have preliminary information regarding the pilot’s identity, it will not be released until troopers can arrive at Tikchik Lake. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have both been notified of the crash.
