NTSB Identification: WPR14FA226
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, June 04, 2014 in Buckley, WA
Aircraft: NORTH AMERICAN AT 6C, registration: N13372
Injuries: 2 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 June 4, 2014, about 1530 Pacific daylight time, a North American AT-6C, N13372, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain following a loss of engine power near Cawleys South Prairie Airport (02WA), Buckley, Washington. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport rated pilot, who was seated in the front seat and airline transport rated passenger, who was seated in the aft seat were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from 02WA about 2 minutes prior to the accident.
Family members of both the pilot and passenger reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) that the airplane had recently been sold to the pilot by the passenger and that the flight was part of a local checkout flight. Family members further reported that the pilot and passenger had conducted a local flight earlier in the day, which lasted about an hour before they had returned for lunch.
Multiple witnesses located in the vicinity of the departure airport and accident site reported observing the airplane takeoff from runway 34 and the engine sounded normal. About 15 to 30 seconds after the airplane had passed the departure end of the runway, witnesses heard the engine sputter. Witnesses stated that they observed the airplane initiate a right turn to an easterly heading followed by a left 270-degree turn while ascending and descending erratically. Witnesses stated that throughout the turn, the engine sounds seemed erratic. As the airplane completed the turn to a southerly heading, the airplane seemed to have lost complete engine power and descended into trees.
Examination of the accident site by the NTSB IIC revealed that the airplane impacted trees and terrain about 1.25 miles northeast of 02WA within a heavily wooded area. An initial point of contact with trees, about 70-feet in height, was observed. The wreckage debris path was oriented on a heading of about 147 degrees magnetic and was about 238 feet in length. All major structure components of the airplane were located within the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
FAA Seattle FSDO-01
BONNEY LAKE, Wash. -- Two men killed in Wednesday’s crash of a World War II-era plane in Pierce County were retired commercial pilots.
Jim Cawley retired from Delta Airlines two years ago, according to his son, Clint Cawley.
"You couldn't have two more experienced pilots piloting the aircraft," said Clint.
Jim Cawley taught Clint and his younger son Curt to fly on the family's private airstrip.
"He spread his love of flying and family to us," said Clint.
Rod Richardson had owned the plane for the last 12 years and flew it about 600 hours without a problem.
Cawley bought the plane from his friend Richardson this week. Clint Cawley said his father and Richardson flew the plane in the morning without incident.
But shortly after taking off in the afternoon, it went down about a mile from the Cawley family’s private airstrip near Bonney Lake in Buckley.
The family does not know what caused the wreck.
"We've just got to trust he made the right choice at the right time," said Clint.
Clint works as a cargo pilot in Alaska. His younger brother works in operations with a Seattle airplane tour company.
Clint said what happened to their father won't keep them out of the skies.
"He'd want us to keep flying," he said. "I'll be back in the air soon."
NTSB investigators used a crane to drag the plane wreckage out of the woods Thursday. The investigation could take months.
Jim Cawley
~
~
BUCKLEY, Wash. — A National Transportation Safety Board crew is battling poor visibility, but expects to have a crashed World War II plane removed from thick woods by Thursday evening. James Robert Cawley and his neighbor, Rodney John Richardson, were killed when the plane went down near Buckley Wednesday.
The wooded area where the plane went down is so thick with trees and shrubs that investigators won't be able to carry the larger pieces of the plane out.
There's also no way to get heavy equipment in on the ground, so they may have to use a crane to lift the wreckage out.
Another option is to airlift pieces out with a helicopter.
The World War II-era plane crashed shortly after taking off from the Buckley air strip.
The men were test-flying the plane because Cawley was going to buy it from Richardson.
People nearby reported hearing the plane sputtering before it crashed.
Both men were experienced pilots. At least one of them was a retired commercial pilot.
Sources:
http://www.katu.com
http://www.komonews.com
http://www.kirotv.com
http://www.thenewstribune.com
No comments:
Post a Comment