14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 15, 2012 in Willow, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/10/2014
Aircraft: GRUMMAN AIRCRAFT ENG CORP C-1A, registration: N27PH
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 airline transport-rated pilot was on the first leg of a flight to deliver fuel to a remote mining site. About 30 minutes after departure, a primary radar track, thought to be that of the accident airplane, showed the airplane make a 180-degree turn back toward the point of departure. Two witnesses described hearing the airplane pass overhead, and both said that “the airplane did not sound right.” One witness stated that the airplane flew directly overhead of his location under a low ceiling and was going very slow.
The airplane was severely damaged by a postimpact fire and explosion. A review of on-scene photographs by an NTSB fire and explosives investigator determined that there was no evidence of an in-flight fire.
Analysis of weather in the area around the time of the accident showed that although the ceiling was low, the weather did not play a significant role in the accident.
An NTSB on-scene examination of the airframe revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. However, due to the disposition of the wreckage, a detailed examination of the engines could not be accomplished on-scene. The wreckage was not recovered from the accident site. The circumstances leading up to the accident could not be determined.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be determined because the wreckage was not recovered from the accident site.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On October 15, 2012, about 1557 Alaska daylight time, a twin-engine Grumman C-1A "Trader" airplane, N27PH, was destroyed when it collided with tree-covered terrain and incurred a postcrash fire and explosion about 19 miles west of Willow, Alaska. The airline transport rated pilot, who was the only occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Fuel Services, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, and was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country fuel transport flight when the accident occurred. Marginal visual meteorological conditions were reported at the airplane's point of departure. The accident flight originated from the Wasilla Airport, Wasilla, Alaska, about 1520, en route to the Nixon Fork Mine, about 28 miles northeast of McGrath, Alaska.
According to the co-owner of the airplane, the purpose of the flight was to transport approximately 900 gallons of diesel fuel to a company owned tank that supplies fuel for a mining operation.
When the airplane did not arrive at its destination, the co-owner of the airplane reported it overdue to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 1757. After being notified of the overdue airplane, personnel from the 11th Air Force's Rescue Coordination Center initiated a search for the missing airplane along its supposed route of flight. On the morning of October 16, an Air National Guard C-130 Hercules was able to locate the wreckage. Rescue personnel aboard a HH-60G helicopter were able to reach the site later that morning, and confirmed the pilot was deceased.
Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane fly over their locations. The first witness saw the airplane as it was flying northwest at an altitude that he estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 feet under an overcast layer. He stated that the airplane did not sound "normal," but he did not notice anything unusual, like smoke, trailing the airplane.
The second witness stated that he saw the airplane fly over his cabin headed southeast at an estimated altitude of 300 to 400 feet. He stated that the airplane sounded like it was "struggling," but he could not see anything abnormal about the airplanes appearance.
Primary radar data taken from the Anchorage Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility (TRACON), shows an unidentified aircraft, believed to be the accident airplane, depart the Wasilla airport about 1522. After departure, the track proceeded to the Northwest with cruising groundspeeds of between 180 and 193 knots. No altitude or transponder code data was transmitted by the airplane. Around 1343 the radar track changed direction and proceeded to the southeast. Groundspeeds after the track changed direction started at 143 knots, and gradually decreased to a low of 117 knots about 5 minutes before the accident. The last radar plot for the airplane was at 1556:47, approximately 5.5 nautical miles from the accident site, and showed a heading of 088 degrees, and a groundspeed of 175 knots.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 62, held an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with airplane multiengine land, airplane multiengine sea, airplane single engine land, airplane single engine sea, and rotorcraft-helicopter ratings. His most recent first-class medical was issued on February 7, 2012, with the limitation that he must have glasses available for near vision.
No personal flight records were located for the pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed on page 3 of this report was obtained from a review of the airmen Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City. On the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated February 7, 2012, he indicated that his total aeronautical experience was about 25,000 hours, of which 200 were in the previous 6 months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a surplus United States Navy, high-wing, twin-engine, transport airplane manufactured by the Grumman Aerospace Corporation in 1957. It was powered by two Wright R-1820-82WA Cyclone, nine cylinder radial piston engines, each capable of producing 1,525 horsepower.
No logbooks or other maintenance records were located, and according to the owner were onboard the airplane at the time of the accident, and destroyed by the postcrash fire.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The closest weather reporting station to the accident site is the Skwentna Airport, Skwentna, Alaska, about 22 miles west. About 63 minutes before the accident, at 1452, a weather observation was reporting, in part: Wind, 350 degrees (true) at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots; visibility, 15 statute miles; sky condition, scattered at 1,500 feet, 3,000 feet overcast; temperature, 30 degrees F; dew point, 23 degrees F; altimeter, 29.11 inches Hg.
There were two witness reports that included weather conditions from their viewpoint. The first, near Willow, reported that there was an overcast layer about 5,000 feet agl, with no precipitation. The second, about 14 miles northwest of the accident site, reported an overcast ceiling between 600 and 1000 feet, with occasional snow showers. He said that the airplane was flying below the ceiling, going in, and out of some of the low clouds.
See the NTSB Meteorology Report in the public docket for this accident for more detailed weather information.
COMMUNICATIONS
No communications were noted with the accident airplane
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane impacted in tree covered terrain on an approximate heading of 125 degrees. Portions of the fragmented airplane were scattered along a debris path oriented along a magnetic heading of 130 degrees, and measured about 240 feet from the point of initial impact to the furthest piece of wreckage. The initial point of impact was noted to be a birch tree, approximately 60 feet from the first point of ground impact.
The first point of ground impact was noted to be the left wing tip. The left wing tip structure was found buried approximately 1 foot under the ground. An impact scar, consistent with the left wing leading edge, extended from the initial ground impact point. Fragments of the left wing were found adjacent to the ground scar. From the first point of impact to the first ground scar, it could be surmised that the angle of impact was approximately 60 degrees nose down.
A postimpact fire and explosion destroyed most of the airplane's structure.
There was an impact crater of size and shape consistent with the left engine and propeller. A second impact crater consistent with the fuselage was adjacent to the first crater. The second crater contained the empennage, the left engine and propeller, and left engine nacelle. A tree adjacent to the second crater on the southwest edge had significant scraping and marks, as well as two pieces of embedded metal which looked like it came from a propeller. The marks were consistent with contact from the right engine propeller and the empennage.
The empennage remained mostly intact, and came to rest upside down on the edge of the second impact crater. The horizontal stabilizer was mostly undamaged. The vertical stabilizer sustained fire damage consistent with the postimpact fire. No anomalies were noted with either the pitch or rudder trim systems.
Just adjacent to the second crater on the north edge, were the right engine propeller, and the remains of the cockpit and forward fuselage.
A second area of severely burned wreckage was located approximately 15 feet forward of the second impact crater on an approximate 125 degree heading. Amongst the charred wreckage were the remains of the fuselage, a large section of the right wing and engine nacelle, the right engine, and various other pieces of burned wreckage.
The left engine, located in the first impact crater, was partially buried. No anomalies were noted to the visible portion of the exterior of the engine case. The exhaust tubes had malleable bending and folding, producing sharp creases that were not cracked or broken along the creases. The left propeller remained attached to the engine. All three blades were bent aft and exhibited a slight amount of torsional S-bending. The left propeller hub also showed rotational scoring.
The right engine, located in the second area of wreckage, sustained severe thermal damage during the postaccident fire. The exhaust tubes showed no signs of ductile folding. The right propeller separated from the engine at the crankshaft. All three blades showed leading edge gouging, chord wise scratching, and torsional S-bending.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
A postmortem examination of the pilot was done under the authority of the Alaska State Medical Examiner, Anchorage, Alaska, on October 17, 2012. The examination revealed that the cause of death for the pilot was attributed to blunt force injuries.
A toxicological examination by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) on January 9, 2013 was negative for any carbon monoxide, alcohol, or drugs.
FIRE
A review of the on-scene photos by an NTSB fire and explosives investigator revealed that there was no evidence of an in-flight fire.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
The company was set up to transport fuel to support mining operations at various locations throughout Alaska. Since the operator leased the fuel farms that they delivered fuel to, it was not required for them to operate as a FAR Part 135 carrier.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
About 3 months prior to the accident, the airplane was involved in a gear up landing, which required inspection of the engine, and replacement of the engine propellers for both engines. The operator told the NTSB IIC that the inspections were satisfactory, but could not provide documentation to support.
A more detailed examination of the airframe and engines was not possible because the wreckage was never recovered from the accident site.
The operator did not fill out the required NTSB Pilot/Operator accident reporting form 6120.1.
http://registry.faa.gov/N27PH
NTSB Identification: ANC13FA004
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 15, 2012 in Willow, AK
Aircraft: GRUMMAN AIRCRAFT ENG CORP C-1A, registration: N27PH
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 15, 2012, about 1557 Alaska daylight time, a twin-engine Grumman C-1A “Trader” airplane, N27PH, sustained substantial damage when it collided with tree-covered terrain about 19 miles west of Willow, Alaska. The airline transport rated pilot, who was the only occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Fuel Services, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, and was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country fuel transport flight when the accident occurred. Marginal visual meteorological conditions were reported at the airplane’s point of departure. The accident flight originated from the Wasilla Airport, Wasilla, Alaska, about 1520, en route to the Nixon Fork Mine, about 28 miles northeast of McGrath, Alaska.
According to the co-owner of the airplane, the purpose of the flight was to transport approximately 900 gallons of diesel fuel to a company owned tank that supplies fuel for a mining operation.
When the airplane did not arrive at its destination, the co-owner of the airplane reported it overdue to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 1757. After being notified of the overdue airplane, personnel from the 11th Air Force’s Rescue Coordination Center initiated a search for the missing airplane along its supposed route of flight. On the morning of October 16, an Air National Guard C-130 Hercules was able to locate the wreckage. Rescue personnel aboard a HH-60G helicopter were able to reach the site later that morning, and confirmed the pilot was deceased.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), along with an additional NTSB investigator, a FAA inspector, and a representative of the operator reached the accident site on the morning of October 17. The wreckage was located in an area of level, tree covered terrain. A postaccident fire consumed a majority of the airplane. Portions of the fragmented airplane were scattered along a debris path oriented along a magnetic heading of 130 degrees, and measured about 240 feet from the point of initial impact to the furthest piece of wreckage. A detailed wreckage exam is pending following recovery.
The closest weather reporting station to the accident site is the Skwentna Airport, Skwentna, Alaska, about 22 miles west. About 63 minutes before the accident, at 1452, a weather observation was reporting, in part: Wind, 350 degrees (true) at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots; visibility, 15 statute miles; sky condition, scattered at 1,500 feet, 3,000 feet overcast; temperature, 30 degrees F; dew point, 23 degrees F; altimeter, 29.11 inches Hg
ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Alaska State Troopers have identified an Anchorage pilot who was found dead in the wreckage of a crashed cargo plane near Skwentna Tuesday.
Peter B. Iversen Sr., 62, was positively identified by troopers at the scene of the twin-propeller C-1A Trader’s crash, according to an AST dispatch released Tuesday night. He was believed to be the only person on board the aircraft.
Troopers say Iversen’s next of kin and the state medical examiner have both been notified.
NTSB spokesperson Clint Johnson said Tuesday that personnel were being transported to the site of the crash, about 17 miles west of Willow, by helicopter.
Guard spokesperson Maj. Guy Hayes says the Trader was reported overdue to the 11th Air Force’s Rescue Coordination Center by the at about 7 p.m. Monday. An HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter was launched and its crew conducted a search using night-vision goggles but didn't immediately find the plane, which hadn't filed a flight plan.
An HC-130 search plane followed up Tuesday to continue the search after the Pavehawk returned to base, which ended with the discovery of the crash site after several hours. Members of the 212th Rescue Squadron's Guardian Angels were subsequently flown to the site.
"Once on scene, the Guardian Angels were lowered from the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter via hoist into a wooded area that contained the site," Hayes wrote in a Tuesday statement on the crash. "Guardsmen identified the single occupant pilot, who was deceased."
The National Guard has transferred jurisdiction over the crash site to the NTSB and Alaska State Troopers.
No progress was reported Tuesday in another ongoing National Guard search for a Piper PA-18 Super Cub reported overdue Saturday on a flight from Soldotna to Wolf Lake near Palmer, which is being conducted by Civil Air Patrol units at Anchorage, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Girdwood.
Grid searches have focused on Soldotna and Wolf Lake, as well as the flight path between them, and Alaska State Troopers have been consulted on the search. No trace has yet been found of the Super Cub or pilot Brendan Mattingly, who is believed to be its sole occupant.
Hayes says both the crashed Trader and the missing Super Cub were fitted with 121.5 MHz beacons, which don't allow satellites to track their locations like newer 406 MHz beacons.
Searchers on Tuesday found a pilot dead in the crashed cargo plane he was flying from Wasilla to an Interior mine, officials say.
The Grumman C-1A was flying on Monday to Nixon Fork Mine, about 32 miles northeast of McGrath, said National Transportation Safety Board investigator Chris Shaver. It never arrived, and authorities called the Alaska Air National Guard for help finding cargo plane, which was carrying fuel, Shaver said.
After failing to find the plane Monday night, rescuers located it Tuesday morning near Skwentna, about 60 miles west of Wasilla, and discovered the pilot, who was the lone occupant, dead inside, said Guard spokesman Maj. Guy Hayes.
The pilot's name has not been released, and the cause of the crash is unknown, as it is still under investigation, the NTSB said.
The C-1A took off from Wasilla about 2 p.m. Monday, Shaver said. By about 7 p.m., officials with the Federal Aviation Administration had been notified and were asking for help from the Guard, he said.
A helicopter crew in an HH-60 Pavehawk flew along the plane's flight path, scanning the ground with night-vision goggles, but they failed to locate the C-1A, Hayes said. The crew needed to take mandatory rest after other recent search-and-rescue missions, and since they hadn't found anything, they turned back, Hayes said.
Tuesday morning, the Guard's Rescue Coordination Center ordered the launch of an HC-130 Hercules with equipment to search for electronic signals. Shaver said the Hercules crew located the wrecked plane somewhere between Willow and Skwentna, 20 and 60 miles west of Wasilla, respectively. A Pavehawk helicopter carrying para-rescue jumpers was again dispatched to the plane, now with precise information about its location.
"The PJs hoisted down from the helicopter to a wooded area that contained the crash site," Hayes said. "They were able to identify the single occupant pilot, who was deceased."
Alaska State Troopers were en route to the crash site Tuesday in their helicopter, Helo 1, to confirm the pilot's identity. NTSB investigators would likely charter a helicopter Wednesday to get to the plane, Shaver said. Until then, the cause of the crash remains a mystery, he said.
Meantime, the search for a Palmer man flying home over the weekend from Soldotna continues. The pilot, Brendan Mattingly, is believed to have been flying a red, white and green Piper PA-18.
Hayes said neither the C-1A found crashed and Mattingly's PA-18 are equipped with newer emergency-locator transmitters, which would allow satellites to pinpoint their locations.
"They're just a lot more difficult to find," Hayes said.
