Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Cessna U206F Stationair, N206KL, Wilderness Aircraft I LLC: Accident occurred November 06, 2013 in Donnelly, Idaho

NTSB Identification: WPR14FA044 
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Wednesday, November 06, 2013 in Donnelly, ID
Aircraft: CESSNA U206F, registration: N206KL
Injuries: 3 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 November 6, 2013 about 0910 mountain standard time, a Cessna U206F, N206KL, impacted terrain about 12 miles east of Donnelly, Idaho. The commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Wilderness Aircraft I LLC and operated by McCall Aviation Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a company flight plan. The flight originated from McCall Municipal Airport (MYL), McCall, Idaho, at 0900 with a destination of Lower Loon Creek Airport (C53), Challis, Idaho. 

The accident airplane was one of three airplanes taking off from MYL destined for C53. The pilot's from the other two airplanes reported that prior to the flight all three pilots checked the weather and looked at weather webcams positioned throughout the passes. They also contacted people both on the ground and flying to get their description of the weather. The accident pilot departed MYL first followed by the two other airplanes. The second and third pilots both took a route to the north that is commonly used when the weather isn't considered perfect. The accident pilot chose a different route to the south, which isn't abnormal; however, he never told anyone why he chose that particular route. At the start of the flight the three pilots were talking to each other over the radio. The accident pilot reported over the radio that the first route he attempted to take was blocked in, so he turned around and flew further south. The last radio transmission they heard from the accident pilot was that he was clear in the south fork of the Salmon River. 

A portable GPS unit was removed from the wreckage and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) vehicle recorders laboratory for download. The GPS track showed that the airplane departed MYL to the southeast before it turned east towards the mountains. The track entered the mountains, then proceeded south temporarily along a valley before it flew west and exited mountains. The track continued south along the mountain ridgeline for a short time before it turned east and reentered the mountains. The track turned northeast temporarily before it turned southeast then southwest. The end of the track showed the airplane entered what appeared to be a horseshoe shaped ridgeline from over the eastern ridge at 8,150 feet going 128 knots; it then flew along the southern edge of the ridge at about 145 knots. As the airplane approached the western ridge, the airspeed decreased to 71 knots then increased to 89 knots with no noted change in altitude. The track turned north along the western ridge; the final data point indicated the airplane was at 8,150 feet with a groundspeed of 152 knots. 

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

At the time of the accident, the pilot, age 66, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi- engine land privileges and an instrument rating, which was issued on December 15, 2007. His most recent second class medical was issued on December 18, 2012 with no limitations or waivers noted. The pilot was hired at McCall Aviation in May 2008 and flew all seasons since then. The pilot's most recent proficiency check occurred on July 29, 2013 for single-engine airplane. As of September 13, 2013, the pilot reported to the operator that he had 3,841 hours total time, 2,158 of which were in the accident airplane make and model. This was the pilot's first flight after having a day off. 

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION 

The accident airplane, a Cessna U206F, serial number U20602655, was manufactured in 1975 and was equipped with a Continental IO-550F engine. The airplane's most recent maintenance was completed on October 23, 2013 at a total time of 16,501.4 hours; which included the replacement of the alternator belt and the installation of bolts, springs, and washers to the left exhaust stack. On October 3, 2013, at a total time of 16,493.00 hours, the airplane was examined in accordance with its phase check maintenance schedule. On September 30, 2013, at a total time of 16,489.10 hours, a new bladder fuel tank was installed in the right wing. 

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The nearest weather reporting facility, MYL, was located about 14 miles to the northwest of the accident sight. At 0851, weather was reported as calm wind, 9 statute miles of visibility, few clouds at 300 feet above ground level (agl), broken clouds at 2,500 feet agl, and overcast clouds at 3,200 feet agl. The temperature was -1 degrees C, and dewpoint was -2 degrees C, with an altimeter setting of 30.29 inches of mercury.

The other two pilots reported that the weather was not perfect. The valley where MYL is located was good and started to clear to a broken overcast. The weather along their particular route was marginal the entire way, clouds hung low in various locations; however, it became clearer as they neared C53. At no point did they have to divert from their path because of the weather. 

Due to the location of the accident site, weather reporting stations and weather products are limited. Satellite imagery was unable to show low level clouds because of a mid-level cloud layer at 15,000 feet. With lack of ground instrumentation in the accident area other weather sources were unable to show cloud conditions. There were AIRMETS for IFR and MTN Obscuration, however, there are no indications that those conditions were occurring near the accident site. 

A weather model and algorithm were used to simulate and approximate the weather conditions in the area of the accident site. A weather model that simulated relative humidity over the accident site was ran and revealed that the lower altitudes above terrain likely had a much lower visibility with relative humidity greater than 98%. An algorithm that uses satellite, radar, surface, and pilot reports to calculate the probability of icing was used; the algorithm revealed "light" to "moderate" severity icing threat, with a high probability of that threat. 

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT

The airplane came to rest about 100 feet from the top on the western most ridgeline of a horseshoe shaped ridge. The airplane came to rest on the inside of the horseshoe, with the heading of the airplane consistent with the opening of the horseshoe. The terrain was steep, and was heavily covered with trees and about two and a half feet of snow, some of which was fresh. The first identified piece of debris was the inboard portion of the right elevator. It was found about 20 feet to the south of the main wreckage at the base of a small tree that did not appear to be topped. In between the first identified point of debris and the main wreckage were several topped trees. The airplane came to rest at the bottom of, and in between, two trees with a heading of about 299 degrees. One of those two trees sustained about 10 feet of scratching and scoring extending from the base of the tree; the airplane came to rest in a horseshoe shape around this tree. The tree severed the fuselage just aft of the cabin area; the engine, forward fuselage, cabin, and left wing came to rest on the northeast side of the tree and the aft fuselage and empennage came to rest on the northwest side of the tree. 

The forward fuselage and cabin area came to rest upright, however, angled about 45 degrees onto its right side. The forward fuselage was heavily damaged. The engine was still intact and mostly buried in the snow; one of the magnetos had separated and came to rest about 3 feet in front of the engine. The cabin area sustained forward crushing, and the instrument panel was heavily damaged. The connection point for the left seat control yoke was visible and all cables were still attached. The left wing was mostly separated from its attachment points; it was twisted upside down and came to rest on top of the fuselage, extending out over the right side of the airplane. An approximate 4 foot tall section of an approximate 10-inch diameter tree was lodged in the trailing edge of the left wing. The right wing was completely separated from the wing root and the inboard portion of the wing was located at the base of the tree and main wreckage. The inboard right wing was completely covered in snow and ice; heavy organic debris was noted at the outboard fracture point. The outboard portion of the right wing was not located. The empennage sustained heavy crush damage throughout. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were accordion crushed forward. The left horizontal stabilizer was separated from the empennage and located about 10 feet to the west of the empennage. 

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on November 9, 2013, by the Valley County coroner's office, McCall, Idaho. The autopsy indicated the pilot's cause of death was severe blunt force trauma. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot with negative results for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and tested for drugs. Ethanol was detected in various concentrations: 22 mg/dL detected in the liver, 100 mg/dL detected in muscle, 30 mg/dL detected in the heart, and 12 mg/dL detected in the lung. N-Propanol was also detected in the liver. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

During a postaccident airframe and engine examination that included representatives from the NTSB, FAA, Textron Aviation – Cessna Aircraft company, Continental Motors, and McCall Aviation did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations. 

Airframe Examination

An airframe examination revealed that all of the airplane's components were present; with the exception of the outboard portion of the right wing, which was not found on scene. Flight control continuity was established throughout. All of the breaks in the cables were either consistent with tension overload, or cut by the recovery crew. The flap jackscrew was examined and the flaps were in the retracted position. The elevator trim position indicator was severely damaged, and the position could not be determined. The fuel selector valve was found and was positioned on the right fuel tank. The inside of the right fuel bladder was mostly clear with the exception of some small particles. 

The propeller hub was fractured and separated from the propeller flange, and the blades were separated from the propeller hub. None of the blades sustained leading impact damage. One blade was bent forward about 10 degrees midspan in a small radius bend, and chordwise scoring was present on the cambered side of the blade. The outboard six inches of the second blade was twisted about 20 degrees with the leading edge being twisted aft. The third blade was bent aft about 10 degrees in a large radius bend starting 10 inches from the hub. The outboard seven inches were bent aft about 45 degrees in a small radius bend. 

Engine Examination

The engine remained attached to the firewall by the fuel lines and control cables; there was no evidence of catastrophic failure. Both magnetos were separated from their attachment points. The magnetos were manually rotated and the right magneto sparked on all six magneto towers; however, the left magneto only sparked on three of the six towers. The spark plugs were removed and exhibited "normal" wear signatures when compared to the Champion Spark Plugs "Check-A-Plug" Chart AV-27. The gascolator was removed from the firewall; the screen was clear with the exception of a small amount of pinkish-gray lint. The engine driven fuel pump remained attached to the engine; once removed it rotated freely with no anomalies or binding. The throttle body/fuel metering unit was fractured and deformed. The throttle plate was found in the full open position, and the throttle and mixture controls remained attached to their levers. The fuel inlet screen was removed and it was covered in pinkish-gray lint; light could be seen through the debris. The oil pump and oil filter were removed and disassembled; no anomalies were noted. The crankcase sustained impact-related damage and the number 5 cylinder was displaced outward from its attachment point. All cylinders were removed from the crankcase and showed no signs of distress or oil starvation to the cylinder barrels, cylinder heads, pistons, valves, valve springs, or rocker arms. The starter adapter needle bearing boss displayed a witness mark that was consistent with crankshaft gear teeth. The crankshaft was visibly distorted to the left side of the engine, which inhibited rotation of the engine. The crankshaft was removed from within the crankcase and there was no evidence of oil starvation or operational distress. The camshaft remained intact, but was bent; neither the camshaft, nor cam lifters displayed signs of corrosion, excessive wear, or rubbing. 

Magneto Examination

The left magneto was taken to Aircraft Magneto Services located on Bainbridge Island, Washington for further examination. The magneto was installed onto a test bench and was operated; one out of the six terminals sparked. The magneto was removed from the test bench and disassembled; it was noted that the distributer block-rotor-screws were bent aft. It was also noted that the rotor gear was fractured in half in what appeared to be overload. 

Fuel Metering Unit Examination – NTSB Materials Laboratory

The fuel metering unit was sent to the NTSB Materials laboratory for an examination of the debris found on the inlet screen. The debris was removed and collected; using a spectrometer to process infrared wavelength absorbance spectra of each sample of debris. The gray material was a strong match to dimethylsiloxane. Siloxanes (silicones) are used in lubricants, fire sleeving, and sealants. The red fiber was a strong match to cellulose, which is found in natural fibers such as wool and cotton.

NTSB Identification: WPR14FA044 
 Scheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Wednesday, November 06, 2013 in Donnelly, ID
Aircraft: CESSNA U206F, registration: N206KL
Injuries: 3 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 November 6, 2013 about 0910 mountain standard time, a Cessna 206, N206KL, impacted terrain about 10 miles east of Donnelly, Idaho. The commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Wilderness Aircraft I LLC and operated by McCall Aviation Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a charter flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a company flight plan. The flight originated from McCall Municipal Airport (MYL), McCall, Idaho, at 0900 with a destination of Lower Loon Creek Airport (C53), Challis, Idaho.

The airplane was the subject of an Alert Notice (ALNOT) when the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center received notification of an activated emergency locator transmitter (ELT) southwest of MYL. Weather initially hindered the search and rescue operations. The airplane was located on November 8, 2013, at an elevation of about 8,000 feet mean sea level on steep, densely wooded, and snowy terrain.

The nearest weather reporting facility, MYL, was located about 14 miles to the northwest of the accident sight. At 1551, on November 6, weather was reported as calm wind, 9 statute miles of visibility, few clouds at 300 feet above ground level (agl), broken clouds at 2,500 feet agl, and overcast clouds at 3,200 feet agl. The temperature was -1 degrees C, and dew point was -2 degrees C, with an altimeter setting of 30.29 inches of mercury.

The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.




 

 DONNELLY – Just after noon Friday, search crews found the wreckage of the plane they'd been searching for since Wednesday. 
 
Lt. Dan Smith with the Valley County Sheriff's Office says they have confirmed three people on board are dead. The pilot was Dan Wilson from McCall, and the passengers were Mike Wolf and Steve Hall, both from Washington.

Wolf is 51 years old from Woodland, Washington. Hall is around the same age and is from Ariel, Washington.

Smith tells KTVB the bodies were found in the wreckage on a steep section on the side of a mountain.

Sgt. Jason Speer with the Valley County Sheriff's Office said the men were in Idaho for a hunting trip. Speer told KTVB that they contracted the plane through McCall Aviation. They were heading to a hunting camp on the Middle Fork River.

Speer said the terrain was extremely difficult to get to, about 12 miles east of Donnelly near the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

The search was stopped on Thursday because of severe weather, but on Friday, two helicopters with the Idaho Army National Guard were sent to the area, and the wreckage was spotted.

"They were able to lower down a medic into the area and discovered the plane wreckage and discovered the three people who were aboard the aircraft that was reported missing, they were deceased," said Speer.

Valley County deputies and McCall firefighters were flown to the crash site to recover the bodies.

Smith says family members traveled from Washington after learning that the plane was missing on Wednesday. Speer says family members of both passengers participated in the search and rescue.

"There was an outpouring of support from the family and they wanted to be involved and lend any resources they could to help in the search," said Speer.

The plane was found in rugged, mountainous terrain at an elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet, according to officials with the Idaho Transportation Department's Aeronautics Division.

The single-engine Cessna 206 was reported missing at 10:23 a.m.  The aircraft is registered to Wilderness Aviation of McCall.

The Idaho Army National Guard dispatched the two helicopters Friday morning to an area east of Donnelly where the emergency locator transmitter signal was detected.

The search and rescue team of more than 20 people set out on horseback and foot early this morning from a base camp to search for the missing plane. The ground is covered by about two feet of snow.

The FAA and NTSB will now be investigating the crash.


http://www.ktvb.com
  
http://registry.faa.govN206KL

http://hitchcockaviation.com

http://www.fs.usda.gov









Dan Wilson 
 Credit: oddballpilot.com


 

 DONNELLY – Just after noon Friday, search crews found the wreckage of the plane they'd been searching for since Wednesday. 

Lt. Dan Smith with the Valley County Sheriff's Office says they have confirmed three are dead. The pilot was listed as Dan Wilson from McCall, and the passengers were Mike Wolf and Steve Hall, both from Washington.

Smith tells KTVB the bodies were found in the wreckage on a steep section on the side of a mountain.

Valley County deputies and McCall firefighters were flown to the crash site to recover the bodies.

Smith says family members traveled from Washington after learning that the plane was overdue Wednesday.

The wreckage was sighted easy of Donnelly by an Idaho Army National Guard crew around 9:50 a.m. Friday. It's in rugged, mountainous terrain at an elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet, according to officials with the Idaho Transportation Department's Aeronautics Division.

The single-engine Cessna 206 was reported missing at 10:23 a.m.  The aircraft is registered to Wilderness Aviation of McCall. We are told it was a charter flight into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

The Idaho Army National Guard dispatched two helicopters Friday morning to an area east of Donnelly where the emergency locator transmitter signal was detected.  The search by aerial and ground crews were hampered over the past two days by poor weather conditions.

The search and rescue team of more than 20 people set out on horseback and foot early this morning from a base camp to search for the missing plane. The ground is covered by about two feet of snow.
 

Source:  http://www.ktvb.com


Two men believed to be from the Woodland area are presumed to have died in a plane crash Wednesday morning in the mountains of Central Idaho, authorities there confirmed Friday morning. 

Searchers aboard an Idaho Army National Guard helicopter at 9:35 a.m. Friday discovered wreckage of a private plane on the side of a steep mountain about 12 miles east of Donnelly, Idaho, said Lieutenant Dan Smith of the Valley County Sheriff’s Department.

Searchers were hiking to the crash site and expected to get there over the noon hour, but there were no immediate signs of survivors, Smith said late Friday morning.

He confirmed  that Steve Hall and Mike Wolf were passengers aboard the plane. Smith could not confirm their ages or cities of residence, but a family friend confirmed for The Daily News that Hall and Wolf are from the Woodland area. The pilot, Dan Wilson, 66, is an employee of McCall Aviation, which owns the Cessna 206 single-engine plane that vanished Wednesday morning shortly after takeoff from McCall with Hall and Wolf aboard.

The Woodlanders were bound for a hunting camp in the Frank Church Wilderness in the Salmon River Basin — only about a 12-minute flight.


http://tdn.com/news


Donnelly, Idaho ( KMVT-TV / KTWT-TV ) – A helicopter search team from the Idaho Army National Guard spotted what is believed to be the wreckage of an airplane missing since Wednesday morning from the McCall airport. 

Wreckage was sighted about 9:50 a.m. today in rugged terrain, at an elevation of between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, several miles east of Donnelly, according to officials from the Idaho Transportation Department’s Aeronautics Division.

A Valley County Search and Rescue team was expected to arrive at the site late this morning or early afternoon. Two teams, one on horseback and another on foot, set out early this morning from a base camp to search for the aircraft.

The aerial search team could not confirm the tail number of the plane or provide information about its occupants.

A Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft carrying a pilot and two passengers left the McCall Airport Wednesday at about 9 a.m., apparently on a charter flight into the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

It was reported missing at 10:23 a.m., initiating an extensive search by air and ground. The aircraft is registered to Wilderness Aviation of McCall.

The Idaho Army National Guard dispatched two helicopters again this morning to the region east of Donnelly where an emergency locator transmitter signal was detected. The Idaho Civil Patrol also sent a plane to the location.

More than 20 individuals were involved in the ground search this morning. Air and ground operations were hampered Thursday by inclement weather and poor visibility. The ground is covered by about two feet of snow.

The Valley County Sheriff’s Office has assumed responsibility for the search.  


http://www.kmvt.com
  
BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - Dangerous weather forced crews to call off the search for a plane missing near Donnelly Thursday. 

About a dozen searchers on horseback were turned back. However, the single-engine Cessna 206 has an Emergency Locator Transmitter that may be a beacon of hope for the pilot and two passengers who were on board.

The plane left McCall Wednesday morning, headed for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Search crews have narrowed their search to an area just outside of Donnelly because of the signal from the plane's emergency transmitter.

The signal on the plane goes off automatically when it feels impact, and sends a signal to a satellite to alert emergency crews.

There are different types of transmitters. Older models emit signals that can only be picked up by planes that fly within range of the device. Experts say thankfully, the locator in the Cessna 206 is extremely accurate, and can put crews within a few miles of the plane or its passengers.

"They're pretty reliable," said Cammie Patch, who is a Chief Flight Instructor at Glass Cockpit Aviation in Boise. "This is just a piece of the puzzle, and hopefully one you will never have to depend on. If you needed it though, you'd really like it."

Patch says she's never had to use an ELT. However, she found out how well they can work by mistake.

"Somebody accidentally turned it on one time," Patch said. "They thought it was a different switch, and I immediately got a call."

That call came from emergency crews, who got the signal from the plane's ELT.

"The pilot would know that somebody is going to start looking immediately, and that's a really good thing," Patch said.

Patch said this newer ELT can help crews pinpoint a search area much easier than they could with an older locator that can't send a signal via satellite.

"I think its about a two-mile radius search area," Patch said. "Which is probably five to six times better than the older ones were."

Accuracy is especially important, Patch said, when you're dealing with difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions.

"There are a lot of variables with flying, and for the most part it's super safe," Patch said. "But you have to cover all your bases, and when things are out of your control it's nice to have something like this to be a last resort."

The Emergency Locator Transmitters are battery powered, and Patch said they should be able to last at least a few days after the signal is activated. She also said they are weatherproof, so should be able to hold up in harsh weather conditions.

The device can also be taken out of the plane, in case the passengers needed to move to another area.

Watch Video:   http://www.kboi2.com

 
BOISE -- State transportation officials say the search for a single-engine plane with three people on board that went down in the mountains east of Donnelly has been suspended for the day due to inclement weather. The Cessna 206 took off from the McCall Airport on Wednesday morning.  

Steve Grant with the Idaho Department of Transportation says an 11-person ground team went to the Goldfork trailhead at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to begin looking on foot and horseback for the plane.  He says they have pretty good idea of where the plane went down based on the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter signal, but it is in a remote mountain location. However, they had to turn back because of the weather.

The missing plane is white and snow is falling in the mountains, which is creating visibility problems.  The Civil Air Patrol tried to put a plane up in the air this morning but Grant says they also had to turn back because of the inclement weather.

Grant says cell phone service is not very good in that area, and that's making communications with searchers very difficult.

ITD says the plane seats six people and is owned by Wilderness Aircraft of McCall.

A pilot and two passengers were on board. The plane was headed for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Col. Tim Marsano wit the Idaho Army National Guard says two helicopters, a Blackhawk and a Lakota, left Boise Thursday morning in hopes of assisting in the search.  The helicopters also had to return to base because of the weather.

Grant says there has been no communication with anyone on board the plane.  Temperatures overnight did drop below freezing and snow was falling in the mountains.

Weather permitting, crews plan to resume the search on Friday.


http://www.ktvb.com


BOISE -- The search resumed this morning in the mountains east of Donnelly for a single-engine airplane with three people on board that went missing after take off from the McCall Airport Wednesday morning. 

Steve Grant with the Idaho Department of Transportation says an 11-person ground team went to the Goldfork trailhead at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to begin looking on foot and horseback for the Cessna 206.  He says they have pretty good idea of where the plane went down based on the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter signal, but it is in a remote mountain location.

However, the plane is white and snow is falling in the mountains, which is creating visibility problems.  The Civil Air Patrol tried to put a plane up in the air this morning but Grant says they had to turn back because of the inclement weather.

Grant says cell phone service is not very good in that area, and that's making communications with searchers very difficult.

ITD says the plane seats six people and is owned by Wilderness Aircraft of McCall.

A pilot and two passengers were on board. The plane was headed for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Col. Tim Marsano wit the Idaho Army National Guard says two helicopters, a Blackhawk and a Lakota, did leave Boise around 11 a.m. Thursday and hope to resume the search today, weather permitting.

Grant says there has been no communication with anyone on board the plane.  Temperatures overnight did drop below freezing and snow was falling in the mountains.


http://www.ktvb.com


BOISE -- State transportation officials say inclement weather and snow in the mountains hampered the search for a single-engine airplane with three people on board that went missing after taking off from the McCall Airport this morning. 

The Idaho Transportation Department says the missing aircraft is a white Cessna 206 that seats six people. The plane is owned by Wilderness Aircraft of McCall.

A pilot and two passengers were on the plane, which was headed for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Idaho Army National Guard helicopters are concentrating their search for the missing plane in an area a few miles east of Donnelly, based on the missing aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter signal.

We are told the area is inaccessible to motor vehicles.

The forecast tonight is for more snow and temperatures dropping below freezing in the mountains.

The search will resume at daylight on Thursday.


Source:   http://www.ktvb.com

 The Idaho Transportation Department has announced that search efforts are underway for a small airplane reported missing.  

Owned by McCall Aviation, the missing aircraft has been identified as a white Cessna 206 single-engine plane.

A pilot and two passengers were on board.

The plane left McCall this morning heading toward the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Currently, search efforts from the Idaho Army National Guard have been concentrated in an area a few miles east of Donnelly, based off a signal being emitted from an Emergency Locator Transmitter signal.

The area the signal is coming from is inaccessible to motor vehicles.

Inclement weather and high-mountain snow are hampering search efforts. The search will continue at daylight.


Source:   http://www.jrn.com

Searchers are looking for an airplane that left McCall Wednesday morning, the Idaho Transportation Department announced. 

The missing Cessna 206 is a white, single-engine aircraft that seats six. The pilot was accompanied by two passengers, and they were bound for the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

The plane is registered to Wilderness Aircraft in McCall.

Idaho Army National Guard helicopters were concentrating their search a few miles east of Donnelly, and they were following the aircraft’s Emergency Locator Transmitter signal. Motor vehicles can't access the area, ITD said.

Inclement weather and high-mountain snow hampered search efforts Wednesday, ITD said, and the search will continue Thursday morning.

Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com

Strange craft over Horry County, South Carolina, were part of military exercise, Federal Aviation Administration says

It wasn't swamp gas trapped in a thermal pocket that refracted the light from Venus, nor were they mere weather balloons.

But the origin of three strange, apparently triangular-shaped aircraft several witnesses and this newspaper spotted flying over Horry County on Tuesday remains a mystery.

A spokesman with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the craft were part of a military exercise, but couldn't identify the aircraft or their place of origin.

“We don’t ever get into that,” said FAA spokesman Jim Peters. “We don’t speak for the military. The only thing that I can tell you was that our air traffic control was working with the aircraft. It was military aircraft that was doing some training.”

From a vantage point off McCormick Road in Forestbrook, the Carolina Forest Chronicle observed three craft flying in formation from south to north.

There was no sound as the diamond-shaped objects drifted slowly across the night sky at about 7 p.m. Navigation lights scintillated from their hulls like exploding firecrackers.

Staff Sgt. William O’Brien, spokesman for Charleston Air Force Base, said the craft didn’t come from there. He said the base doesn’t perform military exercises in or around Horry County.

“We do not fly aircraft in your area, so it couldn’t have been one of ours,” O’Brien said. “It would not be anything that we fly because that’s not where we fly.”

Robert Sexton, a spokesman with Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, said he had no information about any military craft flying over Horry County.

Sexton said, however, that Apache helicopters do exhibit behavior similar to the craft spotted Tuesday, such as rapidly flashing navigation lights and stealthy sound.

“Army Apache helicopters make very little noise,” Sexton said. “That’s one of the stealthy features they have. Their rotors are extremely quiet.”

A spokesman for Fort Jackson in Columbia couldn’t be reached as of this posting.

Read more about this story in the Nov. 14 edition of the Carolina Forest Chronicle.

Pilatus PC-12 NG: Bring It....ALL of It!

 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

 Published on November 5, 2013 

Witness the PC-12 NG's remarkable capacity to easily carry 6 people and a full load of luggage from 2 SUVs.

Lockheed Martin to trim 65 workers in Owego: Layoffs part of 587 cuts nationwide


OWEGO — Lockheed Martin on Wednesday notified 65 employees at its Owego facility that their jobs are being eliminated.

Most will work their last shift at Lockheed Martin on Nov. 20. The Owego facility, which handles electronic systems, mission systems and sensors, and ship and aviation systems, will have 2,600 employees once the layoffs are completed.

On Wednesday, Lockheed Martin served layoff notices to 587 U.S. employees across its Mission Systems and Training business. Keith Little, senior manager of public relations at Lockheed’s Mission Systems and Training, declined to disclose which facility was the hardest hit.

Lockheed’s Salina plant, near Syracuse, notified 80 employees on Wednesday, dropping the facility’s total employment to approximately 1,600. Last week, it was reported that Lockheed Martin abandoned a plan to close the Salina plant and transfer the employees to other facilities, including sending 280 to Owego.

Across Mission Systems and Training, Little said, the layoffs were not targeted toward one specific discipline.

“This action ... is necessary to address continuing challenges in our business environment, including continued uncertain program funding, delays in contract awards and an extremely competitive market,” Little said in a statement.

On Oct. 16, Lockheed Martin announced it would be cutting approximately 600 U.S. positions across its Mission Systems and Training business. Those employees were notified Wednesday.

In mid-July, Lockheed announced a similar layoff that would eliminate approximately 300 U.S. positions across Mission Systems and Training. But in August, the world’s largest defense company served layoff notices to 367 U.S. employees, including 25 in Owego.

The reasoning for the current round of layoffs and the one carried out over the summer is almost identical, as Lockheed officials in both instances said the cuts were necessary to address unclear program funding, delays in contract awards and a competitive market.

Mission Systems and Training has about 16,000 employees at more than 100 sites, including the Owego facility and the Salina plant.


Source:  http://www.pressconnects.com

Lockheed Martin issues layoff notices to 80 employees in Salina  

WASHINGTON -- Lockheed Martin Corp. said today that it will lay off 80 employees at its plant at Electronics Park in Salina, part of a larger nationwide cutback of 587 people in its Mission Systems and Training division.

Employees were notified of the layoffs this morning, Lockheed officials said. Most of the layoffs will be effective in two weeks. The affected employees will be offered undisclosed severance benefits and outplacement services. 

Lockheed Martin is Onondaga County's largest for-profit employer, with about 1,700 employees in Salina before today's announcement.

The company signed a 30-year incentive deal with New York state in 1996 that requires it to employ at least 1,500 people at the Electronics Park plant. In return, Lockheed was given a series of economic incentives, including a 30-year lease on their state-owned property for $1.

Lockheed announced plans for the layoffs Oct. 16. The company said the cutbacks are "necessary to address continuing challenges in our business environment, including continued uncertain program funding, delays in contract awards and an extremely competitive market."

Story and Comments/Reaction:  http://www.syracuse.com

 
Lockheed Martin Corp. will cut about 600 U.S. positions across its Mission Systems and Training business, which includes its facility in Owego, pictured above.

Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2, CREX-MML LLC, N194SJ: Fatal accident occurred September 29, 2013 in Santa Monica, California

NTSB Identification: WPR13FA430 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 29, 2013 in Santa Monica, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/14/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 525A, registration: N194SJ
Injuries: 4 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 private pilot was returning to his home airport; the approach was normal, and the airplane landed within the runway touchdown zone markings and on the runway centerline. About midfield, the airplane started to drift to the right side of the runway, and during the landing roll, the nose pitched up suddenly and dropped back down. The airplane veered off the runway and impacted the 1,000-ft runway distance remaining sign and continued to travel in a right-hand turn until it impacted a hangar. The airplane came to rest inside the hangar, and the damage to the structure caused the roof to collapse onto the airplane. A postaccident fire quickly ensued. The subsequent wreckage examination did not reveal any mechanical anomalies with the airplane's engines, flight controls, steering, or braking system. 

A video study was conducted using security surveillance video from a fixed-base operator located midfield, and the study established that the airplane was not decelerating as it passed through midfield. Deceleration was detected after the airplane had veered off the runway and onto the parking apron in front of the rows of hangars it eventually impacted. Additionally, video images could not definitively establish that the flaps were deployed during the landing roll. However, the flaps were deployed as the airplane veered off the runway and into the hangar, but it could not be determined to what degree. To obtain maximum braking performance, the flaps should be placed in the ”ground flap” position immediately after touchdown. The wreckage examination determined that the flaps were in the ”ground flap” position at the time the airplane impacted the hangar. 

Numerous personal electronic devices that had been onboard the airplane provided images of the passengers and unrestrained pets, including a large dog, with access to the cockpit during the accident flight. Although the unrestrained animals had the potential to create a distraction during the landing roll, there was insufficient information to determine their role in the accident sequence or what caused the delay in the pilot’s application of the brakes.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to adequately decrease the airplane’s ground speed or maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with an airport sign and structure and a subsequent postcrash fire.

HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

On September 29, 2013, at 1820 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 525A Citation, N194SJ, veered off the right side of runway 21 and collided with a hangar at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), Santa Monica, California. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to CREX-MML LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Hailey, Idaho, about 1614.

Witnesses reported observing the airplane make a normal approach and landing, on centerline and within the runway touchdown zone markings. The airplane started to drift to the right side of the runway during the roll out, the nose pitched up suddenly and dropped back down, then the airplane veered off the runway, and impacted the 1,000-foot runway distance remaining sign. It continued to travel in a right-hand turn, and impacted a hangar structural post with the right wing. The airplane came to rest inside the hangar, and the damage to the hangar structure caused the roof to collapse onto the airplane. A post-accident fire quickly ensued.

On-scene examination of the wreckage and runway revealed that there was no airplane debris on the runway. The three landing gear tires were inflated and exhibited no unusual wear patterns. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) control tower local controller reported that the pilot did not express over the radio any problems prior to or during the landing.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 63, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single & multiengine land, and instrument airplane, issued March 27, 2004, and a third-class medical certificate issued May 21, 2012, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. The pilot's current logbook was not located. An examination of copies from the pilot's previous logbook showed the last entry was dated June 5-7, 2009, and totaled his flight time as 3,463.1 hours, with 1,236.2 hours in the Cessna 525A. On the pilot's May 21, 2012, application for his FAA medical certificate he reported 3,500 hours total time, and 125 hours within the previous 6 months. The pilot had logbook endorsements from Flight Safety International, Orlando, Florida, for flight reviews and proficiency checks dated January 19, 2002, November 2, 2002, November, 15, 2003, June 4, 2004, March 2, 2005, March 22, 2006, March 21, 2007, and March 31, 2008. Training records provided by Flight Safety showed that he had completed the Citation Jet (CE525) 61.58 Recurrent PIC training on February, 27, 2013.

The person occupying the right seat in the cockpit was a non-pilot rated passenger.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The low wing, six-seat, retractable landing gear, business jet, serial number 525A0194, was manufactured in 2003, and was based at the Santa Monica Airport. It was powered by two Williams International FJ44-2C engines, each capable of producing 2,400 pounds of static thrust at sea level. A review of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent maintenance was performed on September 7, 2013, and included hydrostatic test of the fire extinguisher bottles, battery functional check, pitot-static system check, transponder calibration check, visual corrosion inspections on the landing gear and horizontal/vertical stabilizer spars, and a generator control unit wire bundle service bulletin. The records showed that as of September 7, the total airframe hours were 1,932.8. Total time on the number one engine (SN 126257) was 1,932.8 hours with 1,561 cycles, and the total time on the number two engine (SN 126256) was 1,932.8 hours with 1,561 cycles. Total landings were 1,561. The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.


Flap Position & Speed Brakes

The flap system description from the Cessna 525 Operating Manual states: "The trailing edge flaps are electrically controlled and hydraulically actuated by the main hydraulic system. Normal flap travel is from 0 to 35 degrees and any intermediate position can be selected. A mechanical detent is installed at the takeoff and approach (15 degrees) position of the flap lever. The full flap position (35 degrees) is reached by pushing down on the flap lever when passing through the takeoff and approach detent."

"The flaps have an additional position called GROUND FLAPS (60 degrees) which provides additional drag during the landing roll."

The speed brake system description from the Operating Manual states: "The speed brakes are installed on the upper and lower surfaces of each wing to permit rapid rates of descent, rapid deceleration, and to spoil lift during landing roll. The speed brakes are electrically controlled and hydraulically actuated by a switch located on the throttle quadrant and may be selected to the fully extended or fully retracted positions. When the speed brakes are fully extended a white SPD BRK EXTEND annunciator will illuminate to remind the pilot of the deployed status of the speed brakes. The angular travel for the upper speed brake panels is 49 degrees, +2 or -2 degrees and the lower panels travel 68 degrees, +2 or -2 degrees. The lower speed brake panels close with the upper panel. The speed brakes will also automatically deploy when GROUND FLAPS position or selected on the flap handle."

Brake System

The brake system description from the Operating Manual states: "An independent power brake and anti-skid system is used for wheel braking. The closed center hydraulic system is comprised of an independent power pack assembly (pump, electric motor, and filter), accumulator and reservoir which provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to the brake metering valve and anti-skid valve. A hand-controllable pneumatic emergency brake valve is provided in the event of a power brake failure. Pneumatic pressure is transmitted to the brakes though a shuttle valve integral to each brake assembly."

"The brake metering valve regulated a maximum of 1,000 psi +50/-20 psi to the brakes based upon pilot/copilot input to the left and right rudder pedals. RPM transducers at each wheel sense the onset of a skid and transmit information to the anti-skid control box. The anti-skid control box reduces brake pressure by sending electronic inputs to the anti-skid valve. Pressure to the brake metering valve is controlled by mechanical input through a bellcrank and push-rod system from either the pilot or the copilot's rudder pedals. A manually operated parking brake valve allows the pilot to increase the brake pressure while the brake is set, and provide thermal relief at 1,200 psi. After thermal relief, pressure will drop to no less than 600 psi, and the pilot or copilot must restore full brake pressure prior to advancing both engines to take-off power."

"Pneumatic pressure from the emergency air bottle is available as a backup to the normal system."

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Recorded weather data from the Santa Monica Airport automated surface observation system (ASOS elevation 177 feet) at 1824 showed the wind was from 240 degrees at 4 knots, visibility was 10 statute miles with clear sky, temperature was 21 degrees C and dew point 12 degrees C, and the altimeter was 29.97 inHg.

Sun position was calculated using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) solar position calculator. The Los Angeles location of 34 degrees, 3 minutes, 0 seconds latitude, and 118 degrees, 13 minutes, 59 seconds longitude was used for the solar position calculation on September 29, 2013, at 1820 PDT. The solar azimuth was calculated to be 264.33 degrees, and solar elevation was 3.59 degrees above the horizon. This position placed the Sun near horizon level, about 54 degrees to the right of the centerline of runway 21.

AERODROME INFORMATION

The Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO), is at an elevation of 177 feet msl. The airport consists of a single 4,973 by 150-foot asphalt/grooved runway oriented southwest to northeast (03/21), with a downhill gradient to the west of 1.2%. There are no overrun areas for either runway, and the departure end of runway 21 terminates in an approximately 50-foot drop off into residential housing to the west and south (residential homes are located approximately 220 feet from the departure end of both runways). Along the last 3rd of the northern side of runway 21 are privately-owned hangars with an approximately 30-foot rising embankment behind the hangars. The runway physical condition was good with no evidence of broken asphalt, debris, pot holes, or water on the runway at the time of the accident.

WRECKAGE & IMPACT INFORMATION

Visible tire track marks from the right main landing gear tire on the runway started at 2,840 feet from the threshold of runway 21; the airplane veered right, colliding with the 1,000-foot runway remaining sign, crossing over the tarmac between taxiway A2 and A1, and finally colliding with the last row of hangars on the northwest corner of the airport. The tire marks on the runway consisted of light scuff marks from the right main landing gear tire and became dark black transfer marks of all three landing gear tires after the airplane had veered off the runway and impacted the 1,000-foot remaining sign. The collision with the hangar resulted in the hangar collapsing over the airplane. A post-accident fire erupted, damaging adjacent hangars.

The collapsed hangar structure was lifted using cranes and shored up using wood timbers. The wreckage was removed by attaching chains to the airframe structure and pulling it out of the hangar with a forklift loader. The fuselage had separated from the wing structure in scissor fashion. The fuselage had rotated counter clockwise about 60 degrees around the longitudinal axis so that the cabin door was pointed towards the ground. The pilot was located in the left front seat, an adult female passenger was in the right front seat, an adult female was located with her back against the cabin door, and an adult male was sitting in a right-hand seat mid cabin. The remains of two cats and a dog were also located within the cabin. The tail section aft of the pressure bulkhead was exposed to extreme heat/fire. The nose landing gear was extended with the wheel and tire attached to the mount. The continuity between the nose wheel steering linkage up to the cockpit rudder pedals was verified. The tire was inflated and exhibited no usual wear.

The right wing had separated from the fuselage at the attach points. The wing spar had broken outboard of the wheel well rib, and a semicircular leading edge indentation was evident at the fuel filler cap location. Aileron and flaps were attached to the wing, and the speed brake/spoiler was deployed. The aileron control cable was attached to the aileron bell crank and the cables were traced to the center fuselage. The right main landing gear was extended with the wheel and tire attached. The tire was inflated and did not exhibit any unusual bald or flat spots.

The tail section aft of the pressure bulkhead separated from the airframe due to extreme fire damage, and was the only part of the airplane that remained outside of the collapsed hangar structure. The horizontal stabilizer was present with both elevators attached. The vertical stabilizer was present with the rudder attached. Both engines remained attached to their respective engine mounts. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT), manufactured by ACR Electronics, was located in the tail section, exhibited minor heat damage and was transmitting during the time immediately following the accident.

The left wing exhibited extreme fire damage at the wing root, and the wing extending outboard of the root was discolored gray/black. There was slight denting along the leading edge of the wing. The flap and aileron were attached to the wing, and the speed brake/spoiler was deployed. The aileron control cables were traced from the aileron bell crank to the center fuselage section.

The fuel control cables were attached to both engines fuel control units; both engine's bleed valves were movable. The left engine N1 section had seized and the visible fan blades were free of dirt or soot. The right engine N1 section could be rotated by hand, and the intake fan blades were evenly coated with black soot. Borescope examination of the high pressure compressor of both engines showed soot and small particulate matter within the compressor section, consistent with the engines operating while ingesting smoke, soot, and ash.


MEDICAL & PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on October 3, 2013, by the Los Angeles County Coroner. The cause of death was ascribed to the combined effects of inhalation of combustion products and thermal burns.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performed toxicology on specimen from the pilot with negative results for ethanol, and positive results for 10 ug acetaminophen detected in urine, and Rosuvastatin detected in urine.

An autopsy was performed on the passenger, who was in the cockpit's right seat, on October 3, 2013, by the Los Angeles County Coroner. The cause of death was ascribed to the combined effects of inhalation of combustion products and thermal burns.

The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performed toxicology on specimen from the passenger with negative results for ethanol, and positive results for 0.077 ug/ml diazepam detected in liver, 0.042 ug/ml diazepam detected in blood, 0.524 ug/ml dihydrocodeine detected in liver, 0.109 ug/ml dihydrocodenine detected in blood, 0.659 ug/ml hydrocodone detected in liver, 0.258 ug/ml hydrocodone detected in blood, 0.132 ug/ml nordiazepam detected liver, and 0.064 ug/ml nordiazepam detected in blood.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Brake System Examinations

The following airplane brake system components were removed from the wreckage; skid control unit fault display, left and right wheel transducers, brake control valve assembly, and the skid control box. The components were examined at Crane Aerospace, Burbank, California, on January 22, 2014, under the oversight of the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC). Each component was examined and tested per Crane Aerospace acceptance testing procedures. No discrepancies or anomalies were identified that would have precluded normal operation of the components. The complete examination report is available in the public docket of this investigation.

Both the left and right main brake assemblies were examined at UTC Aerospace Systems, Troy, Ohio, under the oversight of the NTSB IIC, on February 11, 2014. A hydraulic fitting was placed on the primary port of the shuttle valve and pressurized to 100 psi. No leakage was observed, piston movement was observed on all 5 pistons, and the rotors could not be moved by hand. Hydraulic pressure was released and adjuster assemblies were observed to return to their normal position. The system was pressurized to 850 psi, no leaks were observed and the rotors could not be moved by hand. The wear pins extensions indicated about 2/3 wear on both brake assemblies. The system held pressure at 850 psi for 5 minutes. The system was depressurized to 9 psi. The pistons retracted and a feeler gauge measured a gap between rotor and stator disks. The hydraulic fitting was removed from the primary port and placed on the pneumatic port (emergency system). When pressurized to 100 psi the shuttle valve could be heard to move from primary to emergency, indicating the last actuation was via the normal (primary) brake system. The system was pressurized to 850 psi, no leaks were observed, and piston movement was evident. The complete examination factual report is available in the public docket of this investigation.

The parking brake valve assembly had been exposed to extreme thermal heat and was deformed in such a way that disassembly by normal means was impossible. To determine the parking brake internal configuration and condition, the parking brake valve was subjected to x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. The scanning was conducted from April 29-30, 2014. The scans were performed by Varian Medical Systems, Inc., under the direction of the NTSB using the Varian Actis 500/225 microfocus CT system CT system. The components were scanned using a total of 1,522 slices. The images were examined for any signs of missing or damaged parts, contamination, or any other anomalies. Nothing was identified in the scan images that would have precluded normal operation of the parking brake. The complete examination factual report is available in the public docket of this investigation.

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) Data

The EGPWS was removed from the airplane and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for further examination. The accident flight was identified as flight leg 1592. Only warning data pertaining to the event flight The data in the warning file for flight leg 1592 began recording at operational time 2614:08:08. The event that triggered this recording was an excessive bank angle warning that occurred at 2614:08:28 operational time, when the aircraft was at about 15,000 feet about 3 minutes after takeoff. There were no other warnings on the accident flight. The landing time was recorded as 2616:08:04. The complete examination factual report is available in the official docket of this investigation.

The complete EGPWS Factual Report is available in the public docket of this investigation.

Airplane Performance Study

Available information for the accident flight included the radar track, ground marks from the aircraft's tires, and airport security camera footage.

Radar data was used to describe the accident airplane's ground track, altitude, speed, and estimated attitude on approach to the airport. Radar data was obtained from the Los Angeles, California, LAXA ASR-9 (airport surveillance radar), and sampled at 4.5-second intervals. The radar is approximately 5.5 nautical miles (NM) from the aircraft's final location. The aircraft approached Santa Monica from the northeast. The last radar return was recorded at 18:20:26 PDT, about 1,500 ft before the airport threshold. The aircraft's groundspeed final groundspeed was about 115 kts. Wind was 4 kts from 240°, which would have added a slight headwind when landing on runway 21. The approach speed (VAPP) for the 525A for 15° of flaps is between 98 kts indicated airspeed (for 8,000 lbs landing weight) and 122 kts (for 12,375 lbs landing weight). The aircraft's glide slope during the approach was 3.9°. Runway 21 at Santa Monica has a four light precision approach path indicator (PAPI) for a 4.00° glide slope.

The rubber tire marks left by the aircraft on the runway and other paved surfaces were photographed and their locations recorded. The first tire mark was found about 2,800 ft from the threshold of runway 21 and 35 ft right of the centerline. The aircraft's path was determined by connecting the recorded tire marks. Aircraft braking causes rubber from the tires to be deposited onto the runway. The tire marks consist of light scuff while on the runway, but become heavy and dark once the airplane departs the runway veering off to the right.

Six security cameras at the airport recorded the accident sequence. The airplane was first recorded on the ground and approximately 2,000 ft from the runway 21 approach threshold. Additional configuration information, such as flap or spoiler settings or thrust reverser deployment could not be determined from the video due to low resolution. However, the average speed of the aircraft was estimated for each camera recording. The calculated speeds do not uniformly decrease between camera views partially due to the uncertainty of estimating the speed from video. The calculated ground speeds as the airplane passed through mid field varied between 82 knots and 68 knots, with a calculated average of 75 knots. The details of the speed calculations can be found in the NTSB Video Study.

Cessna Aircraft Company provided data from two exemplar landings and ground rolls for a Citation 525A. The data included distance along the runway, calibrated airspeed, GPS speed, left and right brake pressures, brake pedal inputs, and flaps. To compare the exemplar and the accident aircraft landings and ground rolls, it was assumed that all aircraft touched down at the 1,000 ft mark. Assuming a 1,000 ft touchdown point, the first speed estimate is about 10 kts faster than the exemplar ground rolls at the same location. This may indicate that during the first 1,000 ft of the ground roll, the accident aircraft was decelerating near as expected. The exemplar aircraft slowed to a stop more than 1,700 ft before the accident aircraft impacted the hanger.

The aircraft's flight path, altitude, and calculated speeds during the approach were consistent with the standard approach for a Citation 525A into SMO. The aircraft's ground roll was longer and faster than exemplar landings. Tire marks indicate braking occurred late in the ground roll. The aircraft's flap and spoiler settings and thrust reverser deployment are unknown. A reason for the lack of normal deceleration could not be determined using the available data.

The complete Aircraft Performance Factual Report is available in the public docket of this investigation.

Personal Electronic Devices (PED)

Five PED's were recovered from the airplane and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for examination. The laboratory was unable to recover data from three of the devices, however, data was recovered from the remaining two devices.

An Apple iPhone 4 contained text messages and photo activity just before and during the accident flight. A text message "Leaving the Valley" and a photo showing a woman in the right cockpit seat of the airplane before departure. A video captured the takeoff from Hailey, Idaho. The phone contained 14 in-flight photos. A photo of the instrument panel showed a climb through 37,300 feet, airspeed was 251 knots, and the anti-skid switch was in the up (ON) position. One photo was oriented aft into the cabin. In the foreground was a large, red/brown-haired dog in the aisle with its head towards the camera and torso forward of the rearward-facing seats; and in the background were two people seated (each with a cat in their lap) in the forward-facing seats. Another photo showed the dog further forward and both cats were now on the lap of one of the occupants. None of the animals were restrained or caged. Most of the remaining photos were pointed outside the airplane.

None of the content on the iPad 2 was from the accident flight, however, it did contain pertinent photos and video related to N194SJ. The iPad contained a low resolution, 52-second, video of the airplane taking off from the Santa Monica Airport on an undetermined date. The video was taken from a position consistent with the right cockpit seat and began as the airplane started its takeoff roll. About 10 seconds into the video, the camera panned left showing the interior of the cockpit. A red/brown-haired dog (same as was seen in the iPhone 4's images), was positioned facing forward with its nose about 18 inches aft of the throttle quadrant. As the airplane rotated, 19 seconds into the video, a person in the cockpit said "…you want to be up front too, huh?" The video then panned outside to show a row of hangers on the right, then the ocean, and generally clear skies. The video ended with Santa Monica Tower directing N194SJ to contact "SoCal departure."

The full PED Factual Report is available in the official docket of this investigation.

Surveillance Video

The NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division's Image Laboratory received two files containing images from 9 unique security camera feeds from a Bosch DIVAR 700 Series recorder. The recording contained six camera streams and captured the accident sequence and subsequent Airport Rescue Firefighting (ARFF). The six camera streams contained images from cameras 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 17, each of which captured the accident aircraft at some portion during its landing roll and subsequent impact with the hangar structure. The recording provided was 1 hour 40 minutes and 5 seconds in length. The beginning portion of the recording showed the landing roll and impact and the remainder of the recordings showed subsequent ARFF activities related to the accident The video file was provided by a local Fixed Base Operator (FBO) and the majority of the cameras (3, 4, 7, 8, and 9) were recorded from a cluster of locations near the FBO ramp entrance area. Camera 17 was mounted remotely on a different area of the airport property.

Images from the collection of cameras in this feed showed view of portions of runway 03/21 and the ramp area of the fixed base operator. Cameras 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 were oriented toward the southeast and showed the ramp area and the center portion of runway 03/21. Camera 17 faced southwest toward an aircraft parking area and a distant group of hangar structures on the boundary of the airport's property. The camera locations were evaluated in chronological order of the aircraft's appearance in each camera's field of view. The aircraft was first captured by camera 7 as it moved toward the departure end of runway 21, and last captured in camera 17 as it impacted the hangar structure. The aircraft was assumed to be on the centerline of runway 03/21 until it is out of view of camera 4.

Camera 7 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left corner of the frame as the cockpit area of the fuselage is shown behind an open hangar structure. Calculated average speed of the airplane was 82.5 knots.

Camera 8 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left corner of the frame as the cockpit area of the fuselage is shown in front of an open hangar door on the far side of runway 03/21. Calculated average groundspeed was 75.2 knots.

Camera 3 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left corner of the frame as the cockpit area of the fuselage is shown in front of the corner of a large hangar structure on the far side of runway 03/21. Calculated average groundspeed was 68.1 knots.

Camera 4 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left corner of the frame as the cockpit area of the fuselage is shown in front of the three chimney structure on the far side of runway 03/21. Calculated average groundspeed was 70.7 knots.

Camera 9 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left-hand corner of the recording as the fuselage is shown traveling down runway 03/21. Calculated average groundspeed was 79.0 knots.

Camera 17 - The aircraft first appears in the upper left-hand corner of the recording as the nose of the aircraft is shown veering towards a tarmac area between runway 03/21 and the intersection of Taxiway A1 and Taxiway A. A trajectory was estimated using photographs from the on-scene portion of the investigation which showed witness marks from the aircraft's tires as it moved toward the impact location. This trajectory was used to calculate the overall distance the aircraft traveled through the measurable segment. Calculated average groundspeed was 50.5 knots.

The accident aircraft's speed can be averaged throughout a portion of runway 03/21 that is not covered by security camera footage. An image from camera 9 in which the aircraft is shown passing behind a hangar structure near the FBO's ramp area at a recorded common timestamp and the nose of the accident aircraft appears 9.75 seconds later on camera 17. The calculated distance the airplane traveled was approximately 1,040 feet, providing an estimated average groundspeed of 63.2 knots.

The calculated average groundspeed for the airplane as it passed through the field of view of each camera in sequential order is summarized in the following table.

Camera 7 82.5 kts
Camera 8 75.2 kts
Camera 3 68.1 kts
Camera 4 70.7 kts
Camera 9 79.0 kts
Between 9 – 17 63.2 kts
Camera 17 50.5 kts

Exported still images from each camera position were examined to attempt to make a determination of the accident aircraft's flap position. The still images selected were the best examples of potential flap position recognition. Still images from cameras 7, 8, 3, 4, and 9, provided inconclusive results as to flap position. Camera 17 provided an image that showed the flaps deployed, however, the extent of flap deployment could not be quantified.

The complete Video Study Factual Report is available in the official docket of this investigation.


LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Three sons who lost their mother in a plane crash at Santa Monica Airport filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the estate of the aircraft’s pilot, alleging negligence.

Kyla Dupont, 53, was killed aboard a Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 aircraft that went off the runway Sept. 29 before colliding with a runway sign and crashing into a hangar. The hangar collapsed on the plane, which then caught on fire. Authorities said the blaze, which spread to two nearby hangars, burned at unusually high temperatures due to jet fuel.

Kyla Dupont’s sons Charles Dupont, Elliot Dupont and Jackson Dupont brought the complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging the pilot failed to maintain proper control over the plane, did not undertake the necessary actions to achieve a safe flight, acted unreasonably in the landing of the plane and failed to maintain the aircraft with proper repairs.

Mark Benjamin, the 63-year-old president of Santa Monica-based construction company Morley Builders, was believed to be at the controls at the time of the crash. The passengers were returning from a trip to Hailey, Idaho.

Benjamin’s 28-year-old son Lucas and 28-year-old Lauren Winkler, Lucas’ girlfriend,  were also killed in the crash.

The suit seeks unspecified damages from the estate of Mark Benjamin and Malibu-based MML Investments LLC, a real estate and aircraft management company. A representative for the Benjamin estate could not be reached for comment.

The cause of the crash remains unclear. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation found no debris on the runway at the time of the crash and said all four of the aircraft’s tires were inflated upon landing.

At the time of the crash, NTSB officials said the pilot never contacted authorities stating there was a problem.

Source:   http://losangeles.cbslocal.com

CREX-MML LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N194SJ
   
NTSB Identification: WPR13FA430 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 29, 2013 in Santa Monica, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 525A, registration: N194SJ
Injuries: 4 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 September 29, 2013, at 1820 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 525A Citation, N194SJ, veered off the right side of runway 21 and collided with a hangar at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, Santa Monica, California.  The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to CREX-MML LLC, and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at Hailey, Idaho, about 1614.

Witnesses reported observing the airplane make a normal approach and landing.  The airplane traveled down the right side of the runway, eventually veered off the runway, impacted the 1,000-foot runway distance remaining sign, continued to travel in a right-hand turn, and impacted a hangar structural post with the right wing.  The airplane came to rest inside the hangar and the damage to the hangar structure caused the roof to collapse onto the airplane. A post-accident fire quickly ensued.

On-scene examination of the wreckage and runway revealed that there was no airplane debris on the runway. The three landing gear tires were inflated and exhibited no unusual wear patterns. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) control tower local controller reported that the pilot did not express over the radio any problems prior to or during the landing.