Thursday, June 20, 2013

Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander, N727JA: Accident occurred June 20, 2013 near McClellanville, Charleston County, South Carolina

http://registry.faa.gov/N727JA


NTSB Identification: ERA13FA295 
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, June 20, 2013 in McClellanville, SC
Aircraft: ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 690B, registration: N727JA
Injuries: 2 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.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 20, 2013, about 1648 eastern daylight time, a Rockwell International 690B, N727JA, was destroyed following a collision with terrain after an in-flight loss of control near McClellanville, South Carolina. The private pilot and the flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The local flight originated at Charleston Executive Airport (JZI), Charleston, South Carolina about 1633.

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to accomplish a CFR Part 61.56 flight review. After takeoff from JZI, the pilots requested maneuvering airspace for airwork over the McClellanville area, at an altitude block of 13,000 to 15,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). About 1646, the air traffic controller asked the pilot to say his heading, and there was no response. Radar contact was lost and search and rescue operations were initiated. Based on a witness report, local responders found the wreckage within the boundary of the Francis Marion National Forest in Charleston County.

A review of recorded radar data revealed that, about 14,000 feet msl and about 3 miles southeast of the accident site, the airplane was observed in two constant-altitude 360-degree turns; the first to the right and the second to the left. The airplane then was observed on a north-northeasterly heading for about 2.5 miles, when an abrupt right turn, accompanied by a loss of altitude, occurred. At 1646:51, the radar track showed the airplane crossing U.S. Highway 17 at 12,100 feet. Concurrently, a keyed microphone could be heard on the recorded voice communications, with loud background noise that lasted for about seven seconds, and a single voice making an unintelligible sound similar to "ahhh…" The airplane was then observed entering a steep, descending left turn, losing about 7,500 feet in 28 seconds. The last radar return was at 1647:19, when the airplane was at 4,600 feet msl.

A witness, who was traveling southbound on Highway 17 at the time, observed the airplane in flight for "a couple of seconds." He observed the airplane in the left upper corner of his windshield. His car windows were up and he could not hear anything. When he saw the airplane, the belly was facing him and the nose was "completely vertical down" prior to it entering the trees. He observed both wings and the tail and he did not see anything missing from the airplane. No smoke was observed.

Another witness was working outside, at his residence, at the time of the accident. The airplane was "…either circling or looping and it did this for several minutes." The engine sounded "strained" and the "…engine speed was being changed." He then heard a "thud" and the engine noise stopped.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The private pilot, seated in the left cockpit seat, held airplane single engine land, airplane single engine sea, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. His personal pilot logbook(s) was not located after the accident. On his most recent FAA Class 1 medical certificate application, dated May 20, 2013, he reported 1,540 hours total time, including 106 hours in the previous six months. His total flight time in the accident airplane was not determined.

The flight instructor and airline transport pilot, seated in the right cockpit seat, held airplane single engine land, airplane single engine sea, airplane multiengine land, airplane multiengine sea, and instrument airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. On his most recent FAA Class 1 medical certificate application, dated May 8, 2013, he reported 22,300 hours total time, including 75 hours in the previous six months.

The flight instructor's personal pilot logbook(s) was not located after the accident; however, an undated resume of his flight experience was provided to investigators. The resume listed a variety of type ratings and formal training courses completed, including FlightSafety International training in the Turbo Commander. The resume listed more than 5,800 hours in turboprop airplanes and more than 4,100 hours as a flight instructor.

Reportedly, the flight instructor had not flown with the pilot previous to the accident flight.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a twin engine, high-wing, retractable landing gear, turboprop airplane, serial number 11399. It was powered by two Allied Signal TPE331-10T-516K engines rated at 776 shaft horsepower each. The engines were fitted with Hartzell three-bladed adjustable pitch propellers.

A review of the aircraft maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection of the airframe and engines was performed on March 4, 2013. The aircraft total time at the time of the annual inspection was 12,192.6 hours. The annual inspection was the most recent maintenance logbook entry in the aircraft and engine records.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The 1655 surface weather observation for Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (LRO) included few clouds at 3,400 feet, scattered clouds at 4,700 feet, broken clouds at 6,000 feet, wind calm, 7 miles visibility, temperature 24 degrees C, dew point 23 degrees C, and altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury.
The review of local weather data revealed no convective activity or thunderstorms in the immediate in the area at the time of the accident.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The accident site was situated on level ground on the grounds of the Francis Marion National Forest. The first point of impact was trees, then the ground. The accident site consisted of a swamp. The coordinates of the first observed impact with trees were 33.06239N, 079.52365W. The coordinates of the main wreckage (cockpit area) were 33.06193N, 079.52374W. The total length of the wreckage path was about 290 feet in length and 40 feet in width. The magnetic heading from initial tree impact to the cockpit was about 190 degrees.

Measurements of the path through the trees was consistent with the airplane in a right bank of about 42 degrees and a descent angle of about 21 degrees. The wreckage was generally fragmented. There was no fire.

All aircraft fuel tanks were breached during the impact sequence. There was a strong odor of jet fuel prevalent throughout the wreckage path.

The left engine was separated from the airframe during the impact sequence and was found adjacent to the cockpit area. The right engine was located attached to the right, inboard wing section that was separated from the main wreckage and crushed against trees during the initial impact sequence.

Several smoothly-cut tree branches were found at the area of initial tree impact. The disbursement of the branches was consistent with contact by both engine propellers.

The wreckage was recovered to a storage facility at Griffin, Georgia, where a detailed examination of the wreckage was performed. All major structural components of the airframe, including all flight control surfaces, were accounted for.

Flight control cable continuity could not be completely established due to the general fragmentation of the wreckage. Cable ends that were identified exhibited overstress indications or were torn from their attachment points.

The landing gear selector handle was found in the up, or retracted, position. The physical position of the landing gear could not be determined due to impact damage. The position of the flaps at the time of the accident could not be determined due to impact damage.

An external examination of the engines was performed during the wreckage review. No evidence of uncontained failure or in-flight fire was observed. The engines were shipped to the manufacturer's facility in Phoenix, Arizona, for a teardown examination under the direction of the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge (IIC).

The propeller assemblies were examined during the wreckage review. Both propellers had similar damage. Each one had the cylinder/piston fractured off. Both propellers were missing their spinners.

The left propeller was still attached to the gearbox; however, the gearbox was separated from the engine due to a fractured engine shaft. The propeller experienced damage due to impact and a power setting or blade angle could not be established; however, slight curved tips and some rotational scoring was noted on the blades.

The right propeller was still attached to the gearbox; however, the gearbox had separated from the engine due to a fractured engine shaft. The "R3" blade was fractured off the clamp assembly. All three blades had slight twisting signatures.

No anomalies were noted with either propeller assembly that would have precluded normal operation. For additional information regarding the examination of the propellers, refer to the Hartzell Propeller Examination Reports, located in the public docket for this accident.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Pilot

A postmortem examination of the pilot was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina on June 21, 2013. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as "Full body blunt trauma due to General aviation collision with ejection" and the manner of death was "Accident.".

Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the pilot by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. Testing for cyanide was not performed.

Flight Instructor

A postmortem examination of the flight instructor was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina on June 22, 2013. The autopsy report noted the cause of death as "Full body blunt force trauma" and the manner of death was "Accident.".

Forensic toxicology testing was performed on specimens of the flight instructor by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CAMI toxicology report indicated negative for ethanol. Testing for carbon monoxide and cyanide was not performed. The report indicated that there was diphenhydramine in the liver and urine, pioglitazone in the liver and urine, and 47.3 ug/ml salicylate in the urine.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl® or Sominex®) is an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine used to treat allergies and Sominex® is marketed as a non-prescription sleep aid. A determination of possible impairment was not possible since there was no blood available for testing.

Pioglitazone (Actos®) is a prescription oral antidiabetic agent that acts primarily by increasing uptake of glucose by peripheral organs and decreasing glucose production by the liver. It is used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. According to CAMI, the flight instructor had diabetes that was treated and controlled with oral medications and was issued a Class 1, Restricted Medical Certificate, not valid for any class after May 31, 2014. He had also lost an eye due to an injury years ago; however, he was evaluated at 20/20 visual acuity in his remaining eye during his most recent FAA medical examination.

Salicylate is a metabolite of aspirin, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to treat aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever.

The report also noted 127 mg/dl glucose in the urine. Postmortem urine levels above 100 mg/dL are considered abnormal. No blood was available for hemoglobin A1C analysis.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System

The airplane was equipped with a Honeywell Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS). The outer case sustained minor damage; however, the internal memory survived the impact. The unit was sent to Honeywell for download of the data under the direction of a NTSB air safety investigator. Although the unit captured the final portion of the accident flight, the data, according to the manufacturer, was not accurate. The position data was observed in the "dead reckoning" mode, indicating that the GPS data was invalid or went out of navigation mode. This resulted in significant inaccuracies in the aircraft position data toward the end of the recording.

Engines

The engines were examined at the Honeywell facilities at Phoenix, Arizona on September 16 through 18, 2013, under the direction of the NTSB IIC.

The teardown and examination of the left engine, S/N P-79794C, revealed that the type and degree of damage was indicative of an engine that was rotating and operating at the time of impact. Numerous indicators of rotation and operation were noted, including rotational scoring, ingested and burned organic debris, and metal spray adhesion. No pre-existing condition was found that would have prevented normal operation.

The teardown and examination of the right engine, S/N P-79792C, revealed that the type and degree of damage was indicative of an engine that was rotating and operating at the time of impact. Numerous indicators of rotation and operation were noted, including rotational scoring, ingested and burned organic debris, and metal spray adhesion. No pre-existing condition was found that would have prevented normal operation.

For additional information regarding the examination of the engines, refer to the Honeywell Engine Examination Reports, located in the public docket for this accident.



MCCLELLANVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) -- An officials from the National Transportation Safety Board office in Atlanta was dispatched to McClellanville overnight to survey the wreckage from a downed plane. 

The coroner's office identified the victims of the crash 44-year-old Patrick Eudy and 69-year-old Robert Ulrich.

Officials at the scene do not know when the National Transportation Safety Board inspector will arrive at the scene, but a press conference to provide an update on the recovery has been slated for 3 p.m. Friday. 

Once the National Transportation Safety Board inspector has surveyed the damage, a preliminary report will be issued 10 days later.

The plane, identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander, went down about 40 miles north of Charleston Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the flight agency identified the plane's tail number as N727JA.

According to FlightAware, the plane left Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island Thursday afternoon. That plane's tail number is registered to Nighthawk Air, LLC, a company out of Matthews, N.C.

Officials said the plane was found about two miles from South Tibwin Road, off Highway 17. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane left the airport on a training flight to Georgetown and had a planned return to Johns Island.

Awendaw Fire Department Battalion Chief Fred Tetor said the area where the plane was found was marshy, about knee deep, two miles from the command post near Highway 17.

"There are a couple of big ditches back there. We've had to put some ladders to go from land mass to land mass to get to some of those areas. That was some of the biggest challenges. It's just muddy there," Tetor said.

Chief Tetor said the area is difficult to navigate. They had to bring ladders to get across certain areas. Tetor also told the Associated Press that those at the site could smell fuel.




The wreckage of an airplane crash in McClellanville that killed two people on board on June 20.


What sounded like a scream was heard over the radio. Within five minutes, air traffic controllers had lost all contact with a pilot and a flight instructor aboard the turboprop plane that had been 15,000 feet above McClellanville. 
Minutes later, someone reported seeing a plane plummeting into the woods of the Francis Marion National Forest.


In the 10 minutes the plane spent in the air, something had gone terribly wrong.

When investigators found the wreckage, twisted metal and tree branches spanned 290 feet in a swamp, along with the bodies of the two men on board.

These final moments and other details about the fatal plane crash in June were released this month in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the agency investigating the crash.

The report details information about the flight, the aircraft, the wreck, the pilots' medical and flight backgrounds and other details that will be used to determine what caused the plane to crash.

The final report is expected to be released in the next three months, but a nine-page report released March 6 provides further insight into the accident that killed 44-year-old Patrick Eudy, of Mount Pleasant, and instructor Robert Ulrich, 69, of Bellevue, Idaho, on June 20.

Flight experience

It was the first time in the air together for Eudy and Ulrich, according to the report. Ulrich was a flight instructor and Eudy was trying to get recertified on flying the plane he owned, a 1977 Rockwell International 690B.

It was supposed to be a routine flight.

Eudy, president and CEO of the Matthews, N.C.-based telecommunications firm American Broadband, had spent more than 1,500 hours in the air as a pilot, according to the NTSB report.

It remains unclear how many times he had flown the eight-seat Rockwell that friends say he had owned for three or four years.

Ulrich had spent more than 22,000 hours in flight, including 75 hours in the six months before the crash, according to the NTSB reports. Nearly 20 percent of the time Ulrich spent in the air was as a flight instructor, the reports stated.

Ulrich had been issued a Restricted Medical Certificate after losing an eye to an injury, but his Federal Aviation Authority medical exam showed he had 20/20 vision in his remaining eye.

Ulrich also suffered from diabetes, according to the report, but the report does not indicate if his or Eudy's health played any part in the crash. Eudy and Ulrich tested negative for drugs and alcohol, according to the forensic toxicology results listed in the NTSB report.

The flight

Eudy and Ulrich departed from the Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island at 4:29 p.m.

Either Eudy or Ulrich told air traffic control they wanted to do some air work and asked to fly at about 15,000 feet, according to a transcript of the audio recordings between the plane and air traffic.

About 15 minutes later, one of the pilots said they were doing 360-degree turns at about 14,000 feet and were going to be doing that for another 10 minutes, according to the transcript.

A map based on radar data indicates the plane did two 360 turns, the first to the right and the second to the left.

A few seconds into the second turn, one of the pilots said "thank you, sir" to air traffic control, which had approved the request to spend another 10 minutes doing turns.

That was the last recorded transmission known from the plane.

Air traffic control attempted to contact Eudy and Ulrich, but there was no answer and the plane disappeared from the radar, the report stated.

On the ground, a witness saw the plane doing the two 360-degree turns, then saw the plane abruptly turn right while starting to lose altitude, according to the report.

Radar showed the plane crossed U.S. Highway 17 at 12,100 feet.

Less than two minutes later, a loud background noise, which lasted for about seven seconds, along with a single voice making a sound similar to "ahhh" was heard on the radio, according to the transcript, but aviation officials could not determine what plane it came from.

Within seconds, a witness saw the plane turn left while dropping another 7,500 feet within 28 seconds.

A witness said the nose was "completely vertical down" before the propellers ripped through the trees of the forest and crashed into the swamp, according to the report.

The plane did not catch fire before, during or after impact, the report stated.

When first responders arrived, the smell of jet fuel filled the air.

The coroner later determined that Ulrich and Eudy died of full body blunt force trauma.

The plane

The twin-engine plane had been inspected three months before the crash, and the plane's two engines appeared to be working at the time the plane crashed, according to the findings by NTSB.

No problems were found with the propellers' assembly that could have led to a malfunction. Both propellers were missing a piece called the spinner, but NTSB did not indicate whether that occurred before or after the crash.

While the report appears to rule out certain possibilities for the cause of the crash and describes how the plane went down, it does not yet show why it went down.

NTSB officials said their final report detailing the cause of a crash is usually published one year after an incident.

Beech 65-A90-1, N903MD: Maryland Agriculture Department begins aerial spraying for mosquitoes in Dorchester Neck District and Town Point

Posted: Thursday, June 20, 2013 4:05 pm

CAMBRIDGE -- Plans to spray insecticide for mosquito control were announced Wednesday by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Weather permitting, the MDOA spokesman said, aerial spray for adult mosquito control should have begun Thursday evening in Dorchester Neck District and Town Point communities, and will continue until approximately 16,000 acres are treated.

The MDOA aircraft used for this operation is a white, twin-engine plane with red and blue stripes, registration number N903MD. It will be flying between 300 and 500 feet above the ground during the evening hours after sunset.

The insecticide being used, Trumpet, contains naled, a synthetic insecticide noted for low toxicity to animals and people. The MDOA notes that it is not necessary for people, pets or livestock to leave the area to be treated.

http://registry.faa.gov/N903MD

http://www.myeasternshoremd.com

San Francisco pilot, passenger plead guilty in Texas marijuana flight, arrested at Lubbock Aero -- Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (KLBB), Texas: Piper Archer III, N342TA



  Michael Paul Gallanter 
(Source: Lubbock County Sheriff's Office)


 
Ethan Oliver Wynne-Wade 
(Source: Lubbock County Sheriff's Office)



Here is the press release from the Department of Justice: 

Pilot and Passenger from San Francisco, Whose Plane Was Met by CBP Air Interdiction as it Landed in Lubbock, Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges


LUBBOCK, Texas -- Two men, who flew into Lubbock and arrived at Lubbock Aero on Wednesday evening, April 17, 2013, Michael Gallanter, 48, and Ethan Oliver Wynne-Wade, 31, each appeared this morning before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings and pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 kilograms, but less than 100 kilograms, of marijuana.   They each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.  Judge Cummings ordered presentence investigation reports with sentencing dates to be set after the completion of those reports.  Both defendants remain on bond.  Today's announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaa of the Northern District of Texas.

Gallanter and Wynne-Wade were arrested after their arrival in Lubbock and charged in a federal criminal complaint.  Subsequently, on May 15, 2013, a federal grand jury in Lubbock indicted them for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, hashish and psilocin/psilocybin.

According to documents filed in the case, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Interdiction agents had received information that that a Piper PA28-181 aircraft, tail number N342TA, was operating under suspicious circumstances, in that the occupants of the aircraft paid for their fuel with cash, fueled their own plane, had a large amount of luggage in the aircraft's passenger compartment and departed in poor weather conditions.   Agents also had information that the aircraft had been rented from the Travis Air Force Base Aero Club in Rio Vista, California, where some individuals renting aircraft were breaking flight rules and procedures.

CBP launched a Citation Interceptor Jet in an attempt to locate the aircraft.  On April 17, 2013, at approximately 10:15 p.m., CBP Air Interdiction agents contacted the aircraft to conduct a ramp check as it was about to refuel at Lubbock Aero, a refueling location located at the Lubbock International Airport.   Agents identified Gallanter as the pilot and Wynne-Wade as the passenger.

CBP Air Interdiction agents met Gallanter as he deplaned and per their request, Gallanter provided them with the appropriate flight paperwork.  After a drug detector dog alerted to the presence of drugs, the plane was then searched by federal agents.  Agents located six large military-style duffle bags and four smaller bags inside the passenger compartment.  Agents opened the bags and located 98 plastic bags of marijuana, four plastic bags of hashish and two plastic bags of psilocin mushrooms.  In total, agents located approximately 69 kilograms of marijuana, four kilograms of hashish, and 1.37 kilograms of psilocin mushrooms.

The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), CBP Air Interdiction, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lubbock Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham is in charge of the prosecution.

Source:  http://everythinglubbock.com


http://registry.faa.gov/N342TA
 
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Beech A36, N20651: Cell phone call guides pilot to safety


GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. A pilot making his way across Western Colorado was forced to make an emergency landing in Grand Junction on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday the pilot met the man who helped bring him to the ground safely.

On the morning of the incident, the two strangers formed an unbreakable bond.

Gene Manzanares, master coordination center officer for TSA in Grand Junction, said, "At 8:01 our customer service line rang and Mr. Cody was on the other end. He gave me his tail number and his aircraft type and told me he was declaring and emergency."

Pilot Raymond Cody said, "Contacted Gene at TSA, it was the only phone number that I had. I had a little anxiety I had to be honest with you."

Mid-flight Cody lost power, and he couldn't get back on the ground by himself.

"The airplane motor wasn't an issue of stopping, it was only the electronics in the airplane. So I had no radio, I had no navigation equipment," said Cody.

He says he was blind in the air, but thanks to the man on the other end of the line, blind with good sight.

"I was the one talking to him directly and the one talking to the tower and to the airport fire and rescue through our radios, so I was doing all three," said Manzanares.

However, an incident like this was a first for the TSA employee.

"I haven't been trained to bring a pilot in but we made it happen," Manzanares said.

"Gene's my hero, how's that? Yeah he is, he was real calm, kept me calm, and I do appreciate it," said Cody.

Cody has some advice for pilots who encounter similar situations, "Call Gene!"

Cody says this incident will not deter him from getting back in the air, and Manzanares says he would gladly fly with Cody any day.