Monday, October 26, 2015

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, N55GK, Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC: Fatal accident occurred October 26, 2015 in Weston, Broward County, Florida

Pilot James Alexander Townsend 


The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Miramar, Florida
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Hartzell Propeller; Piqua, Ohio

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

Spohrer & Dodd Aviation, LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N55GK

Location:  Weston, FL
Accident Number: ERA16LA026
Date & Time: 10/26/2015, 1233 EDT
Registration: N55GK
Aircraft: PIPER PA31
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under:  Part 91: General Aviation - Business 

Analysis 

The airline transport pilot of the multiengine airplane had fueled the main (inboard) fuel tanks to capacity before the cross-county flight. As the flight approached the destination airport, an air traffic controller instructed the pilot to turn right for a visual approach, and the pilot acknowledged. Subsequently, the pilot reported that he might have to land on a highway. The airplane impacted a marsh area about 15 miles from the destination airport.

Review of data downloaded from an onboard engine monitor revealed that the right engine momentarily lost and regained power before experiencing a total loss of power. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left propeller was feathered and that the right propeller was in the normal operating range. Sufficient fuel to complete the flight was drained from the left wing fuel tanks. Although the right wing fuel tanks were compromised during the impact, sufficient fuel was likely present in the right main fuel tanks to complete the flight before impact because both the left and right main fuel tanks were fueled to capacity concurrently before the flight, but it likely was in a low fuel state due to fuel used during the flight.

The right wing main fuel tank was not equipped with a flapper valve, which should have been located on the baffle nearest the wing root where the fuel pickup was located. The flapper valve is used to trap fuel near the fuel pickup and prevent it from flowing outboard away from the pickup. The maintenance records did not indicate that the right main fuel tank bladder had been replaced; however, the manufacture year printed on the bladder was about 20 years before the accident and 16 years after the manufacture of the airplane, indicating that the bladder had been replaced at some point. When the right main fuel tank bladder was replaced, the flapper valve would have been removed. Based on the evidence, it is likely that maintenance personnel failed to reinstall the flapper valve after installing the new fuel bladder. This missing valve would not affect operation of the fuel system unless the right main fuel tank was in a low fuel state, when fuel could flow outboard away from the fuel pickup (such as in a right turn, which the pilot was making when the engine lost power), and result in fuel starvation to the engine.

Toxicology testing of the pilot revealed that his blood alcohol level during the flight was likely between 0.077 gm/dl and 0.177 gm/dl, which is above the level generally considered impairing.

Therefore, it is likely that, during the right turn, the fuel in the right main fuel tank moved outboard, which resulted in fuel starvation to the right engine. When the right engine lost power, the pilot should have secured the right engine by feathering the propeller to reduce drag and increase single-engine performance; however, given the position of the propellers at the accident site, the pilot likely incorrectly feathered the operating (left) engine, which rendered the airplane incapable of maintaining altitude. It is very likely that the pilot's impairment due to his ingestion of alcohol led to his errors and contributed to the accident. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's feathering of the incorrect propeller following a total loss of right engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from maintenance personnel's failure to reinstall the flapper valve in the right main fuel tank. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to alcohol consumption. 

Findings

Aircraft
Propeller feather/reversing - Incorrect use/operation (Cause)
Fuel system - Not specified (Cause)

Personnel issues
Incorrect action selection - Pilot (Cause)
Installation - Maintenance personnel (Cause)
Alcohol - Pilot (Factor)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach
Fuel starvation
Loss of engine power (total) (Defining event)

Emergency descent
Off-field or emergency landing

Landing

Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

On October 26, 2015, at 1233 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N55GK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh in Weston, Florida, while on approach to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger incurred minor injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The business flight was operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC., and conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1033.

According to a fueling receipt and statements from the passengers, the flight originated from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1010. Before departure, the airplane was fueled with 17.3 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, which brought the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks to full. No fuel was added to the auxiliary fuel tanks at this time. The flight departed for FXE but diverted to CRG due to a cockpit window that was not properly closed. The pilot secured the window at CRG and departed on the accident flight.

According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (Miami Approach) while being vectored for a visual approach to runway 9 at FXE. At 1230, the air traffic controller instructed the flight to descend from 3,000 ft to 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl), which the pilot acknowledged. The controller subsequently instructed the pilot to turn right from a heading of 160° to 180°, which the pilot acknowledged. About 1 minute later, the controller instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 090° and report the airport in sight. The pilot acknowledged the vector but did not initiate a left turn. About 20 seconds later, the controller asked whether the pilot was turning left, and the pilot replied that he might have to land on the interstate highway. He then asked where the airport was, and the controller told him it was 15 miles east. At 1233:28, the pilot reported that he saw the interstate highway. No further communications were received from the airplane.

Review of radar data revealed that the airplane entered a right turn about 1230 and then continued on a straight course of about 180° magnetic from approximately 1232:18, when the airplane was at 2,000 ft msl, until the last radar target was recorded at 1233:41, when the airplane was at 200 ft msl. Further review of the radar data revealed that the majority of the cruise portion of the flight was flown about 40 knots slower than the final portion of the flight. The data indicated about 120 knots groundspeed from 1045 to 1154, then 160 knots groundspeed from 1155 until 1213, when the descent from cruise altitude began.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor
Age: 63, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/27/2015
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 11000 hours (Total, all aircraft), 105 hours (Total, this make and model) 

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine land. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on April 27, 2015. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 11,000 hours. Review of the pilot's most recent logbook revealed that he had accumulated about 6,379 hours of multiengine flight experience; of which, 105 hours were flown in the accident airplane, dating back to 2006. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: PIPER
Registration: N55GK
Model/Series: PA31 350
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 31-7852013
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 8
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/08/2015, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 7000 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 3 Hours
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 6003.3 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C126 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: TIO-540
Registered Owner: SPOHRER & DODD AVIATION LLC
Rated Power: 350 hp
Operator: SPOHRER & DODD AVIATION LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

The eight-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 31-7852013, was manufactured in 1978. It was powered by two Lycoming TIO-540, 350-hp engines equipped with Hartzell propellers. According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 8, 2015. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 6,003.3 total hours of operation and each of the engines had accumulated 1,260.2 hours since major overhaul. At the time of the accident, the airplane had flown 2.9 hours since the annual inspection.

The airplane's fuel system consisted of four fuel bladder tanks. Each wing was equipped with an inboard main fuel tank and an outboard auxiliary fuel tank. Each main fuel tank held 56 gallons and each auxiliary fuel tank held 40 gallons, totaling 192 gallons, of which, 182 gallons were useable. Each main fuel tank was equipped with a flapper valve located on the baffle nearest the wing root, where the fuel pickup was located. The purpose of the flapper was to trap fuel near the fuel pickup and prevent it from flowing outboard, away from the pickup. When the main fuel tank bladders were replaced, the flapper valve would have to be removed and reinstalled. The manufacture year printed on the right main fuel tank bladder was 1994.

Review of FAA records revealed that the operator purchased the airplane in 2008. A previous owner sold the airplane to a company in Guatemala on May 13, 1992. The airplane was then sold to a company in Florida on November 29, 1999. Further review of the airframe logbooks did not reveal any entries regarding removal and replacement of the right main fuel tank bladder; therefore, the location and date of the bladder replacement could not be determined. Further review of maintenance records revealed that the left main fuel tank bladder was removed and replaced in 2004. 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: FXE, 13 ft msl
Observation Time: 1253 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 16 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 60°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3300 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 20°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 16 knots/ 20 knots, 110°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.03 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Jacksonville, FL (CRG)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Fort Lauderdale, FL (FXE)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 1033 EDT
Type of Airspace: 

The 1253 recorded weather at FXE included wind from 110° at 16 knots gusting to 20 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 3,300 ft, scattered clouds at 4,100 ft, scattered clouds at 5,500 ft; temperature 29°C; dew point 20°C, altimeter 30.03 inches Hg. 




Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor, 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 26.058889, -80.434722 (est) 

Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that it came to rest upright in a marsh. The landing gear was retracted, and both engines had separated from their respective wings. The right wing outboard section and the left wingtip had also separated. The left engine fuel selector was positioned to the left auxiliary fuel tank, and the right engine fuel selector was positioned to the right main fuel tank. The inspector observed fuel in both the left main and left auxiliary fuel tanks. About 13 gallons of fuel were then drained from the left wing via a large fuel line behind the left engine, which simultaneously drained fuel from both left wing fuel tanks. The inspector did not observe fuel in the right main or right auxiliary fuel tanks; however, the right auxiliary fuel tank was compromised during impact, and the inspector could not confirm the integrity of the right main fuel tank due to the position of the wreckage.

The wreckage was re-examined at a recovery facility. Review of the cockpit revealed that the pilot's seatbelt and shoulder harness remained intact. The throttle, mixture, and propeller levers for both engines were in the forward positions; however, the control pedestal was canted right, consistent with movement by first responders to extricate the pilot. The battery master, both engine magnetos, and the emergency fuel boost pumps were on. The alternator switches were in the off positions. Although the right engine firewall fuel shut-off lever was partially engaged, the fuel valve was open at the wing root, consistent with lever movement during impact or by rescue personnel.

The wing flaps were in the retracted position. Measurement of the rudder trim jackscrew corresponded to a full nose-right rudder position. Measurement of the elevator trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate neutral setting. Measurement of the aileron trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate 1/4-scale right aileron trim setting. Control continuity was confirmed from the ailerons, rudder, and elevator to the mid-cabin area. In addition to the breached right wing auxiliary fuel tank, the right wing main fuel tank bladder was ruptured, consistent with impact. The breach in the right main wing fuel tank bladder was an approximate 1-inch tear near the fuel vent. The right wing main fuel tank flapper valve was absent; the left wing main fuel tank flapper valve was installed.

The valve covers, top spark plugs, oil filter, and vacuum pump were removed from the left engine. The spark plug electrodes were intact and light gray in color. The vacuum pump vanes and drive coupling were intact. When the propeller was rotated by hand, crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The fuel injector servo and dual magneto were also removed. The fuel injector servo screen was absent of debris. No fuel was recovered from the fuel injector servo, fuel lines, or engine-driven fuel pump. The dual magneto shaft was rotated via an electric drill, and spark was observed at all 12 leads.

The valve covers, top spark plugs, oil filter, starter, and vacuum pump were removed from the right engine. The spark plug electrodes were intact and light gray in color. The vacuum pump vanes and drive coupling were intact. When the propeller was rotated by hand, crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The fuel injector servo and dual magneto were also removed. The fuel injector servo screen was absent of debris. Fuel was recovered from the fuel injector servo and engine-driven fuel pump. The dual magneto shaft was rotated via an electric drill, and spark was observed at all 12 leads.

Teardown examination of both propellers revealed that the four left propeller blades remained attached to the hub. Three blades were bent aft, and one was bent forward. All four blades exhibited leading edge gouging and chordwise scratching consistent with powered rotation at impact. All four left propeller blades were found in the feather position.

The four right propeller blades remained attached to the hub. All four blades were bent aft and exhibited rotational scoring and leading edge damage; however, the damage was less than the damage observed on the left propeller blades. The right propeller blades were found in a normal operating position near the low pitch stop. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The 63-year-old male pilot had reported to the FAA chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the use of an inhaled combination medication containing budesonide and formoterol to limit his symptoms. This combination of a steroid and long acting beta-agonist is not considered impairing. He was issued a time-limited special issuance second class medical certificate with a limitation for corrective lenses for near and distant vision and marked, "Not valid for any class after 04/30/2016."

The Office of the Medical Examiner & Trauma Services, Broward County, Florida, determined the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. A specimen of blood was drawn on the day of the accident by the treating hospital for toxicological testing at the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Testing identified acetone, methanol at 0.003 gm/dl, and ethanol at 0.037 gm/dl in blood. In small amounts, acetone and methanol are not considered impairing. Assuming that the blood sample tested was drawn on admission to the hospital at 1400 (and not later), the pilot's level of ethanol at the time of departure at 1010 was likely between 0.077 gm/dl and 0.177 gm/dl. 

Additional Information

A JPI engine monitor and Shadin fuel flow indicator were removed from the airplane and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, DC. Data were successfully downloaded from both units. The Shadin fuel flow indicator displayed 561.4 gallons of fuel used with 0.0 gallons of fuel remaining; however, the unit had to be manually reset after every fueling for accurate information.

Review of plotted data from the JPI engine monitor revealed that the right engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) decreased from about 1,300°F to 800°F at 1225:15 (the JPI clock was about 5 minutes behind the ATC clock), then increased to 1200°F at 1225:25, followed by a decrease to 200°F at 1226:00, which was about the time the airplane was making a right turn from a course of 160° to 180° magnetic. The left engine exhaust gas temperature remained between 1,150°F to 1,400°F throughout the data to 1228:40. The particular model JPI engine monitor did not store fuel flow or fuel quantity information. 











NTSB Identification: ERA16LA026 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 26, 2015 in Weston, FL
Aircraft: PIPER PA 31-350, registration: N55GK
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 26, 2015, about 1232 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N55GK, operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC., was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh in Weston, Florida, while on approach to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger incurred minor injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The business flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to FXE, which departed Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1033.

According to the passengers and a fueling receipt, the flight originated from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1010. Prior to departure, the airplane was fueled with 17.3 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, which brought the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks to full. The pilot and passengers departed for FXE, but diverted to CRG due to a cockpit window that was not completely sealed. They secured the window at CRG and departed on the accident flight.

According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (Miami Approach) while being vectored for a visual approach to runway 9 at FXE. About 1229, the air traffic controller instructed the flight to descend from 3,000 feet to 2,000 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. The controller subsequently provided vectors and instructed the pilot to report the airport insight. The pilot acknowledged the vectors, but had not reported the airport in sight when he stated twice that he might have to land on an interstate highway. He then asked where the airport was and when told it was 15 miles east, he said he saw the interstate highway. No further communications were received from the accident airplane.

Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that it came to rest upright in a marsh. The landing gear was retracted and both engines had separated from their respective wing. The right wing outboard section and the left wingtip had also separated. The left engine fuel selector was found positioned to the left auxiliary fuel tank and the right engine fuel selector was found positioned to the right main fuel tank. Additionally, the right engine firewall fuel shut off lever was engaged. The inspector observed fuel in both the left main fuel tank and left auxiliary fuel tank. He did not observe fuel in the right main fuel tank or right auxiliary fuel tank; however, the right auxiliary fuel tank was compromised during impact and the inspector could not confirm the integrity of the right main fuel tank due to the disposition of the wreckage. The right propeller blades appeared to be at or near the feathered position and the left propeller blades exhibited some rotational damage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine land He also held a flight instructor certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on April 27, 2015. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 11,000 hours.

According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 8, 2015. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 6,003.3 total hours of operation and the engine had accumulated 1,260.2 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown 2.9 hours from the time of the inspection, until the accident.

The recorded weather at FXE, at 1253, was: wind from 110 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 3,300 feet, scattered clouds at 4,100 feet, scattered clouds at 5,500 feet; temperature 29 degrees C; dew point 20 degrees C, altimeter 30.03 inches Hg. The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office;  Miramar, Florida
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania 
Hartzell Propeller; Piqua, Ohio 

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Spohrer & Dodd Aviation, LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N55GK

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA026
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 26, 2015 in Weston, FL
Aircraft: PIPER PA31, registration: N55GK
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 26, 2015, at 1233 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N55GK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh in Weston, Florida, while on approach to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger incurred minor injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The business flight was operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC., and conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1033.

According to a fueling receipt and statements from the passengers, the flight originated from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1010. Before departure, the airplane was fueled with 17.3 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, which brought the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks to full. No fuel was added to the auxiliary fuel tanks at this time. The flight departed for FXE but diverted to CRG due to a cockpit window that was not properly closed. The pilot secured the window at CRG and departed on the accident flight.

According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (Miami Approach) while being vectored for a visual approach to runway 9 at FXE. At 1230, the air traffic controller instructed the flight to descend from 3,000 ft to 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl), which the pilot acknowledged. The controller subsequently instructed the pilot to turn right from a heading of 160° to 180°, which the pilot acknowledged. About 1 minute later, the controller instructed the pilot to turn left to a heading of 090° and report the airport in sight. The pilot acknowledged the vector but did not initiate a left turn. About 20 seconds later, the controller asked whether the pilot was turning left, and the pilot replied that he might have to land on the interstate highway. He then asked where the airport was, and the controller told him it was 15 miles east. At 1233:28, the pilot reported that he saw the interstate highway. No further communications were received from the airplane.

Review of radar data revealed that the airplane entered a right turn about 1230 and then continued on a straight course of about 180° magnetic from approximately 1232:18, when the airplane was at 2,000 ft msl, until the last radar target was recorded at 1233:41, when the airplane was at 200 ft msl. Further review of the radar data revealed that the majority of the cruise portion of the flight was flown about 40 knots slower than the final portion of the flight. The data indicated about 120 knots groundspeed from 1045 to 1154, then 160 knots groundspeed from 1155 until 1213, when the descent from cruise altitude began.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine land. He also held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on April 27, 2015. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 11,000 hours. Review of the pilot's most recent logbook revealed that he had accumulated about 6,379 hours of multiengine flight experience; of which, 105 hours were flown in the accident airplane, dating back to 2006.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The eight-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 31-7852013, was manufactured in 1978. It was powered by two Lycoming TIO-540, 350-hp engines equipped with Hartzell propellers. According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 8, 2015. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 6,003.3 total hours of operation and each of the engines had accumulated 1,260.2 hours since major overhaul. At the time of the accident, the airplane had flown 2.9 hours since the annual inspection.

The airplane's fuel system consisted of four fuel bladder tanks. Each wing was equipped with an inboard main fuel tank and an outboard auxiliary fuel tank. Each main fuel tank held 56 gallons and each auxiliary fuel tank held 40 gallons, totaling 192 gallons, of which, 182 gallons were useable. Each main fuel tank was equipped with a flapper valve located on the baffle nearest the wing root, where the fuel pickup was located. The purpose of the flapper was to trap fuel near the fuel pickup and prevent it from flowing outboard, away from the pickup. When the main fuel tank bladders were replaced, the flapper valve would have to be removed and reinstalled. The manufacture year printed on the right main fuel tank bladder was 1994.

Review of FAA records revealed that the operator purchased the airplane in 2008. A previous owner sold the airplane to a company in Guatemala on May 13, 1992. The airplane was then sold to a company in Florida on November 29, 1999. Further review of the airframe logbooks did not reveal any entries regarding removal and replacement of the right main fuel tank bladder; therefore, the location and date of the bladder replacement could not be determined. Further review of maintenance records revealed that the left main fuel tank bladder was removed and replaced in 2004.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1253 recorded weather at FXE included wind from 110° at 16 knots gusting to 20 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 3,300 ft, scattered clouds at 4,100 ft, scattered clouds at 5,500 ft; temperature 29°C; dew point 20°C, altimeter 30.03 inches Hg.

WRECKAGE INFORMATION

Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that it came to rest upright in a marsh. The landing gear was retracted, and both engines had separated from their respective wings. The right wing outboard section and the left wingtip had also separated. The left engine fuel selector was positioned to the left auxiliary fuel tank, and the right engine fuel selector was positioned to the right main fuel tank. The inspector observed fuel in both the left main and left auxiliary fuel tanks. About 13 gallons of fuel were then drained from the left wing via a large fuel line behind the left engine, which simultaneously drained fuel from both left wing fuel tanks. The inspector did not observe fuel in the right main or right auxiliary fuel tanks; however, the right auxiliary fuel tank was compromised during impact, and the inspector could not confirm the integrity of the right main fuel tank due to the position of the wreckage.

The wreckage was re-examined at a recovery facility. Review of the cockpit revealed that the pilot's seatbelt and shoulder harness remained intact. The throttle, mixture, and propeller levers for both engines were in the forward positions; however, the control pedestal was canted right, consistent with movement by first responders to extricate the pilot. The battery master, both engine magnetos, and the emergency fuel boost pumps were on. The alternator switches were in the off positions. Although the right engine firewall fuel shut-off lever was partially engaged, the fuel valve was open at the wing root, consistent with lever movement during impact or by rescue personnel.

The wing flaps were in the retracted position. Measurement of the rudder trim jackscrew corresponded to a full nose-right rudder position. Measurement of the elevator trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate neutral setting. Measurement of the aileron trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate 1/4-scale right aileron trim setting. Control continuity was confirmed from the ailerons, rudder, and elevator to the mid-cabin area. In addition to the breached right wing auxiliary fuel tank, the right wing main fuel tank bladder was ruptured, consistent with impact. The breach in the right main wing fuel tank bladder was an approximate 1-inch tear near the fuel vent. The right wing main fuel tank flapper valve was absent; the left wing main fuel tank flapper valve was installed.

The valve covers, top spark plugs, oil filter, and vacuum pump were removed from the left engine. The spark plug electrodes were intact and light gray in color. The vacuum pump vanes and drive coupling were intact. When the propeller was rotated by hand, crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The fuel injector servo and dual magneto were also removed. The fuel injector servo screen was absent of debris. No fuel was recovered from the fuel injector servo, fuel lines, or engine-driven fuel pump. The dual magneto shaft was rotated via an electric drill, and spark was observed at all 12 leads.

The valve covers, top spark plugs, oil filter, starter, and vacuum pump were removed from the right engine. The spark plug electrodes were intact and light gray in color. The vacuum pump vanes and drive coupling were intact. When the propeller was rotated by hand, crankshaft, camshaft, and valve train continuity were confirmed to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. The fuel injector servo and dual magneto were also removed. The fuel injector servo screen was absent of debris. Fuel was recovered from the fuel injector servo and engine-driven fuel pump. The dual magneto shaft was rotated via an electric drill, and spark was observed at all 12 leads.

Teardown examination of both propellers revealed that the four left propeller blades remained attached to the hub. Three blades were bent aft, and one was bent forward. All four blades exhibited leading edge gouging and chordwise scratching consistent with powered rotation at impact. All four left propeller blades were found in the feather position.

The four right propeller blades remained attached to the hub. All four blades were bent aft and exhibited rotational scoring and leading edge damage; however, the damage was less than the damage observed on the left propeller blades. The right propeller blades were found in a normal operating position near the low pitch stop.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 63-year-old male pilot had reported to the FAA chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the use of an inhaled combination medication containing budesonide and formoterol to limit his symptoms. This combination of a steroid and long acting beta-agonist is not considered impairing. He was issued a time-limited special issuance second class medical certificate with a limitation for corrective lenses for near and distant vision and marked, "Not valid for any class after 04/30/2016."

The Office of the Medical Examiner & Trauma Services, Broward County, Florida, determined the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was accident. A specimen of blood was drawn on the day of the accident by the treating hospital for toxicological testing at the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Testing identified acetone, methanol at 0.003 gm/dl, and ethanol at 0.037 gm/dl in blood. In small amounts, acetone and methanol are not considered impairing. Assuming that the blood sample tested was drawn on admission to the hospital at 1400 (and not later), the pilot's level of ethanol at the time of departure at 1010 was likely between 0.077 gm/dl and 0.177 gm/dl.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A JPI engine monitor and Shadin fuel flow indicator were removed from the airplane and forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory, Washington, DC. Data were successfully downloaded from both units. The Shadin fuel flow indicator displayed 561.4 gallons of fuel used with 0.0 gallons of fuel remaining; however, the unit had to be manually reset after every fueling for accurate information.

Review of plotted data from the JPI engine monitor revealed that the right engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) decreased from about 1,300°F to 800°F at 1225:15 (the JPI clock was about 5 minutes behind the ATC clock), then increased to 1200°F at 1225:25, followed by a decrease to 200°F at 1226:00, which was about the time the airplane was making a right turn from a course of 160° to 180° magnetic. The left engine exhaust gas temperature remained between 1,150°F to 1,400°F throughout the data to 1228:40. The particular model JPI engine monitor did not store fuel flow or fuel quantity information.

NTSB Identification: ERA16LA026 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, October 26, 2015 in Weston, FL
Aircraft: PIPER PA 31-350, registration: N55GK
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 26, 2015, about 1232 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N55GK, operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC., was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh in Weston, Florida, while on approach to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger incurred minor injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The business flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to FXE, which departed Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1033.

According to the passengers and a fueling receipt, the flight originated from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1010. Prior to departure, the airplane was fueled with 17.3 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, which brought the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks to full. The pilot and passengers departed for FXE, but diverted to CRG due to a cockpit window that was not completely sealed. They secured the window at CRG and departed on the accident flight.

According to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (Miami Approach) while being vectored for a visual approach to runway 9 at FXE. About 1229, the air traffic controller instructed the flight to descend from 3,000 feet to 2,000 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. The controller subsequently provided vectors and instructed the pilot to report the airport insight. The pilot acknowledged the vectors, but had not reported the airport in sight when he stated twice that he might have to land on an interstate highway. He then asked where the airport was and when told it was 15 miles east, he said he saw the interstate highway. No further communications were received from the accident airplane.

Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that it came to rest upright in a marsh. The landing gear was retracted and both engines had separated from their respective wing. The right wing outboard section and the left wingtip had also separated. The left engine fuel selector was found positioned to the left auxiliary fuel tank and the right engine fuel selector was found positioned to the right main fuel tank. Additionally, the right engine firewall fuel shut off lever was engaged. The inspector observed fuel in both the left main fuel tank and left auxiliary fuel tank. He did not observe fuel in the right main fuel tank or right auxiliary fuel tank; however, the right auxiliary fuel tank was compromised during impact and the inspector could not confirm the integrity of the right main fuel tank due to the disposition of the wreckage. The right propeller blades appeared to be at or near the feathered position and the left propeller blades exhibited some rotational damage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane multiengine land He also held a flight instructor certificate, with ratings for airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on April 27, 2015. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 11,000 hours.

According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 8, 2015. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 6,003.3 total hours of operation and the engine had accumulated 1,260.2 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown 2.9 hours from the time of the inspection, until the accident.

The recorded weather at FXE, at 1253, was: wind from 110 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots; visibility 10 miles; few clouds at 3,300 feet, scattered clouds at 4,100 feet, scattered clouds at 5,500 feet; temperature 29 degrees C; dew point 20 degrees C, altimeter 30.03 inches Hg.

Jim Townsend 


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Dozens of people are saying their final goodbyes to a local pilot who lost his life after an accident in the Everglades two weeks ago. 

  Jim Townsend, 63, and his two passengers were in a twin-engine airplane operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC.

Townsend survived the crash and saved the lives of his two passengers, Robert Spohrer and Steve Brown, but days later crash he passed away from his injuries in the hospital.

The memorial for Townsend wrapped up Thursday afternoon at the Jacksonville Executive at Craig Municipal Airport and his widow, Judith Miller said what she was really hoping from the memorial was a lot of storytelling and that’s exactly what happened.

Dozens of fellow pilots, friends and family members came out to show their respect. Many sharing just how much of a funny and giving person Townsend was.

He was an instructor for many years and spread his wealth of knowledge to those hoping to one day earn their wings. There was a story about how he was known to stop traffic just to save a family of turtles crossing the road.

Judith Miller spoke Wednesday about how she learned of the death of her husband, his sense of humor and how he always put others first. 

“I didn't even turn on the news. It was just a couple of minutes before the news and there was a knock on the door and there was a woman out there from the firm and I knew just by looking at her face that something had gone wrong,” Miller said.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Tuesday stated Townsend, who flew out of Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport, could not find Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport. He told air traffic control that he may have to land on the highway.

"I would say, ‘Why aren’t you smiling?’ And he’d say, ‘That’s the face God gave me!’” Miller said. “That was his look! That was his signature look."

Miller describes herself as a very private person but said she wanted to open up her home and her heart to show others how much her husband meant to her and so many others. 

She said she met Townsend through a newspaper personal ad and from there the rest was history.

“I was looking at the personals and there was this an innocuous little ad in there, my age, pilot and looking for someone to spend time with, so I answered,” Miller said.

Miller described it as the best $3.99 she’s ever spent. A newspaper from the '90s that would lead to nearly two decades of happiness.

“After about a month I said, ‘Well, OK, you can come over I guess. He showed up at the door and I looked at him and I said, “You look OK, you can come in. We would have been married for 19 years this February,” Miller said.

She said that her husband had the ability to always put the safety of others first, and that is exactly what drew the two together 19 years ago.

“He loved life. He’d get up in such a good mood and I'd say, ‘Why in the world are you in such a good mood. And he would say, ‘Because I live with a goddess,’” Miller said. 

Miller said that aside from being a family man, Townsend was a lover of nature and adventure. He was a member of the Air Force and the community’s renaissance man who was always up for a challenge, and ready to make people laugh.

“It wasn't just about the planes. It was about if you got stuck on the side of the road he would stop to help you, you know? Never take any money for it and never wanted anything for it, just wanted to do the right thing for people,” Miller said.

“I’m going to miss him so much. He was such a presence and he was just so funny. He was so funny. He loves to tell stories so that's what we're hoping for tomorrow at the memorial. That people will get up and tell stories and laugh because he made me, he irritated me so bad, but he made me laugh!” Miller said.


http://www.news4jax.com


Robert Spohrer



PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. - The pilot of a small plane that crashed in western Broward County last month has died, Local 10 News has learned. 

James Alexander Townsend, 63, of Yulee died at Broward Health Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Amy Erez said Wednesday, November 4th.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain crashed about 12:45 p.m. Oct. 26, 16 miles west of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.

Sky 10 was flying to another scene when pilot Clem Carfaro spotted the downed plane in the Everglades near U.S. Highway 27.

Townsend was trapped inside the cockpit. Sky 10 arrived before Broward Sheriff's Office firefighters got there.

Local 10 News engineer Juan Rodriguez happened to be on Sky 10 at the time, and the helicopter landed briefly so that Rodriguez could help the pilot.

Firefighters arrived a short time later and had to use the Jaws of Life to rescue Townsend, who was pinned under the debris. He was placed on a stretcher and flown to the hospital.

Rodriguez said Townsend was asking for water and complained about his leg.

Two Jacksonville attorneys, Robert Spohrer, 66, and Steven Browning, 55, were also on the plane. They were walking around the crash site, having suffered only minor injuries, and were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

http://www.local10.com


LISTEN: Full 911 call made by passenger after Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain crashes 



Local 10 News engineer Juan Rodriguez




The scene below from the clear, blue sky looked chaotic. 

A small plane tattered and in pieces downed in the swampy Everglades, perilously close to a canal.

Two men in business-casual attire outside, one on the phone while the other peers into a cockpit housing the trapped pilot.

It was a rescue scene that unfolded for television viewers, live from a news chopper.

It was supposed to be a routine business trip last week for Bob Spohrer and Steve Browning.

The two Spohrer & Dodd shareholders had made the trip many times.

“It was completely normal,” said Browning. “A nice day to fly."

Something happened this time.

Calmness before impact

Spohrer and Browning were in the back of the twin-engine aircraft, working during the two hour or so flight. Completely normal until Browning said he felt the descent and realized it wasn’t Fort Lauderdale.

“There wasn’t an airport,” he said. “And we were landing.”

Browning was sitting in a seat with his back to the cockpit, one of the safer positions in crashes. Spohrer was in the seat facing him and calmly advised Browning to tighten his seatbelt and brace himself. Once they crashed, Spohrer said, they’d go out the emergency window.

Browning has never been in that type of emergency situation before. By the time he realized something was really wrong, they’d hit the ground.

“I was in a little bit of disbelief,” he said.

What came next was a blur, he said. He remembers being outside the plane on the wing, walking, talking, unharmed.

Spohrer also had made it and, besides a gash on his forehead, seemed no worse for wear.

The pilot, however, hadn’t been as fortunate.

Jim Townsend had steered the plane to relative safety — on an embankment away from the canal and a power grid. Either could have been deadly.

The crash had pinned Townsend in the cockpit, breaking his legs.

Spohrer was talking him through it, telling him it was going to be OK.

Browning walked down the road toward a building he saw in the distance, talking to a 911 operator and trying to explain where they were.

Behind him, Browning said he heard a helicopter.

“I guess you found us,” he told the operator.

No. Rescuers hadn’t, but someone else had.

Eye on the skies

It was a typical Monday morning for Juan Rodriguez and his peers at WPLG TV-10, a Fort Lauderdale news station.

Rodriguez said there had been some complaints with the camera equipment. His answer was to test it out in the skies, but once they took off, a radio tower alerted them to the situation.

Plane down. They had to go.

“The first thing we saw was one gentleman with a blue shirt on the wing,” he said.

That was Spohrer.

“We saw another gentleman walking away from the airplane … on the phone with what looked like no injuries,” said Rodriguez.

That was Browning.

What Rodriguez and his crew didn’t see at the scene is what made them change priorities. Emergency help hadn’t arrived.

“We became first responders,” he said. “We have to go. So we went.”

Rodriguez hopped out to help while the helicopter took off to act as a beacon for responders, all the while getting footage.

He saw Spohrer with cuts on his face. The pilot trapped. How close the plane had come to further disaster. Could the thing still catch fire?

“You think 10,000 things in a second,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez went to help Spohrer, advising him not to move the pilot given the possibility of expounding on any injuries. Townsend’s arms were bleeding, his head hurt, he was shouting about leg pain and was asking for water.

“I could see he was in pain,” said Rodriguez, “but I think when he saw a strange face, he was a little relieved.”

Other strange faces soon showed up to help.

From helpers to patients

When Browning looked back at the sound of the helicopter, he realized it wasn’t first responders in the typical sense.

Nonetheless, he said, he won’t forget the station’s “10” emblazoned on its side for quite some time.

Rescuers showed up soon after, he said. Browning went from being a helper to becoming a patient.

At first, responders didn’t think he’d been involved.

“They couldn’t put it together,” said Browning. “I didn’t look like a guy who just got off a crashed plane.”

Although he wasn’t sore — adrenaline, they said — he might be in some discomfort in the coming days.

While rescuers cut Townsend out to escort him to safety, the passengers also had to take a trip to the hospital. They had, after all, just been in a plane crash — and Spohrer had a head injury to be checked out.

Plus, they wanted to be where Townsend was headed.

Hours later, both checked out OK. Spohrer was stitched up. Browning said their phones had been inundated with calls, texts and emails — it all started shortly after the crash when people realized it was them.

Before heading to a hotel for the night, they stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions, dirtied and looking like they’d been put through the wringer.

Browning said Spohrer swapped out the paper top the hospital had given him for a generic, touristy T-shirt.

“He pulled it off,” said Browning with a slight laugh.

Browning said he decided against any purchases, but realized how dirty and bloody his clothes were later at the hotel while making many phone calls to family and friends.

That included a call to the acquaintance he was there to visit — the one who called while Browning was on the phone with 911, leaving a joking message about being late. He soon realized why.

After the eventful flight, it was back on a commercial plane to Jacksonville the next day.

Greeted by hugs at home

Browning said he wasn’t nervous in the least when he climbed aboard. He wasn’t sore, yet.

And as Spohrer told Daily Record partner WJXT TV-4, there were no misgivings to climbing aboard.

Other than walking, flying is the safest form of transportation, Spohrer said.

When they returned, both men stopped by the firm that, among other areas, specializes in aircraft accident cases. In fact, the Piper Navajo was registered to an LLC of the firm’s.

They were greeted with “a lot more hugs than I have gotten in a long time,” Browning said.

“They obviously were happy to see me and I was happy to be seen,” he said. “No one got real emotional or anything. … It was a near miss. Those things happen and you move on.”

Much of the attention now turns to Townsend.

Spohrer told WJXT the firm had flown Townsend’s wife and family members to Fort Lauderdale and hoped for a quick recovery. Browning said Friday Townsend had stabilized and “was doing as well as can be expected.”

Spohrer told WJXT it was Townsend’s efforts that led to the three of them surviving. That when you look at the wreckage, it was “pretty incredible” all three survived.

“We’re grateful to be here,” he told the station.

Browning, likewise, offers Townsend praise.

Rodriguez realizes it, too, crediting the pilot for such a landing given the proximity to other dangers.

“It was amazing these guys survived that crash,” said Rodriguez.

For the attorneys, it’s been work as usual for the most part. Spohrer went out of town to visit family late in the week and couldn’t be reached by the Daily Record.

Browning stayed close and expected to see some of his children come back to town for the annual Florida-Georgia game Saturday.

Initially, they weren’t all planning on making the trip. But, they did.

A “near miss” as Browning calls it, has a way of changing plans.

- Source: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com


BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. - Two Jacksonville attorneys who walked away after their company plane crashed Monday in the Everglades are back in the office Tuesday talking about their pilot, who remains hospitalized. 

The pilot, Jim Townsend, was trapped in the cockpit after the firm's twin-engine airplane in western Broward County He had to be cut out of the wreckage.

Robert Spohrer, founding partner of Spohrer and Dodd, and Steven Browning, another partner in the firm, were treated and released after the crash near U.S. Highway 27 in the Everglades. They both escaped without serious injury.

"We were descending rapidly. The gear was not down and we were going to be hitting off the field," Spohrer said Tuesday. "I told Steve, 'Tighten your seat belt as tight as you can, get into a braced position.' As soon as the plane stops moving, we're going to get out of this emergency exit. He and I were our on the wing, immediately, essentially uninjured, miraculously. Our concern was Jim Townsend, our pilot, and trying to extricate him from the wreckage. He had broken legs, we couldn't get him out. He was trapped by instruments so we were unable to get him out of the plane until rescue arrived and cut the roof off the plane."

Townsend remains in the hospital in South Florida. The law firm flew Townsend's family to Fort Lauderdale and or doing whatever they can to help. Spore says it was some type of in-flight emergency and the way the pilot respond it save their lives.

"When you look at the images of the wreckage, it's pretty incredible that the three of us survived, and the two of us were essentially uninjured," Spohrer said.

Townsend, who lives in Yulee and regularly flies for the firm, was praised for his skill avoiding a bigger tragedy.

"Once that emergency occurred, he did an incredible job of keeping the airplane under control, picking a place to try and put it down, and then keeping the aircraft flying until the very last second," Spohrer said. "And that's why the three of us survived."

The Piper PA-31-350 left Jacksonville Monday morning headed for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport when it went down in western Brevard County.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash

- Source:  http://www.news4jax.com

Robert Spohrer and Steven Browning are partners with Spoher & Dodd in Jacksonville.


The three survivors of a plane crash in the Everglades were identified by the Broward Sheriff's Office.

The pilot was Alexander Townsend, 63. His passengers were Robert F. Spohrer, 66, and Steven R. Browning, 55, both lawyers from Jacksonville.

Townsend's legs were trapped in the cockpit of the Piper Chieftain plane that crashed west of U.S. 27 and north of Griffin Road around 12:45 p.m. Monday. It had flown south from Jacksonville.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue firefighters had to cut the plane open to free the pilot. Townsend was flown to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he was in critical condition Tuesday, the sheriff's office said.

The crash was the first of two planes to make emergency landings in South Florida Monday the afternoon. A Cessna came down on a Key Biscayne golf course Monday afternoon, and the two people aboard the single-engine aircraft were able to walk away from the wreck, a golf course official said.

Photographs of the crash in western Broward County showed the Piper's fuselage was broken, its green-tipped tail lying in the marsh.

Spohrer and Browning were able to escape the wreckage on their own. One man had a head injury and both were driven Broward Health Medical Center to be examined, according to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Spokesman Mike Jachles.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday it would examine the plane after it is moved to a hangar. It could take a year for a possible cause to be released by an investigator.

Firefighters used an airboat, golf cart and firetrucks to reach the wrecked aircraft that landed next to a canal and dirt road.

"I can't answer for what the pilot's thinking at that moment, nor would I even venture," Jachles said Monday.

He praised Townsend's skills.

"They were very fortunate for all three of them to survive an impact like this," Jachles said. "If you saw the wreckage, one of the engines was detached."

The plane is a fixed-wing, twin-engine aircraft registered to Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

The Piper was traveling toward Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and was not yet in communication with the tower before it crashed 16 miles from its destination, airport and FAA officials said.

A message left for Robert Spohrer at his law firm Spohrer & Dodd which shares an address with the listed owner, was not immediately returned.

Winds were blowing east-southeast at around 15 mph early Monday afternoon, Meteorologist Dan Gregoria of the National Weather Service in Miami said.

"It was a typical breezy, South Florida day, but no really strong gusts," Gregoria said.

Miami-Dade police were working Tuesday to release the names of the two people whose plane crashed 40 miles southeast of the Everglades, at Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne.

Their Cessna 150 fixed-wing aircraft landed on the 18th fairway.

"No one was playing 18 when it landed," Tommy Chipman, head golf professional and clubhouse manager at Crandon, said Monday.

The Cessna crashed at 2:25 p.m. after the pilot reported engine trouble, the FAA said.

It traveled over the green until it hit some coconut palm trees, Chipman said.

The aircraft is registered to a Wilmington, Del., company called Ameri Air Support and had taken off from Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. Its destination was Miami Executive Airport at 12800 SW 145th Ave., until it changed course.

The NTSB said it will rely on FAA documentation recorded at the golf course to review that crash.


- Source:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com




BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. - Two Jacksonville lawyers and their pilot survived when the firm's Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain airplane crashed Monday in the Everglades in western Broward County.

Robert Sporher, founding partner of Sporher and Dodd, and Steven Browning, another partner in the firm, were treated and released after the crash near U.S. Highway 27 in the Everglades. The pilot, whose name was not released but regularly flies for the firm, was pulled out of the cockpit conscious and remained hospitalized late Monday. 


Miami television station and News4Jax partner WPLG was flying its helicopter to another news event when the pilot spotted the downed plane  The chopper landed briefly and a broadcast engineer helped the plane's pilot escape. Firefighters arrived a short time later and transported him to the hospital.


Records show the Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain left Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport Monday morning. People at the law firm described this as a normal business trip and said the partners were to return to Jacksonville late Monday or Tuesday.


Their co-workers were thankful everyone survived and remain worried about the pilot.


News4Jax aviation expert Ed Booth said that within three minutes, the plane's altitude dropped to the ground from 2,300 feet, suggesting that the plane lost power and was gliding. 


"It appears the pilot did a masterful job of maintaining control of the airplane," Booth said. "The photographs I've seen indicate the pilot did a skilled job of keeping the airplane under control until ground impact, and that's the key in a situation like this ... It's obvious to me, the way the wreckage wound up, that the airplane impacted the ground, although hard it was under control."


Barry Newman, at Sporher and Dodd, said they are lucky to have a safe and competent pilot who did everything he could to save the passengers.


- Source:  http://www.news4jax.com






BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. - A Local 10 employee came to the rescue of a pilot in need after the small plane he was flying crashed Monday in western Broward County. 

Sky 10 was flying to another scene when pilot Clem Carfaro spotted the downed plane in the Everglades near U.S. Highway 27.


The injured pilot was trapped inside the cockpit.


Sky 10 arrived before Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire Rescue paramedics got there.


Local 10 News engineer Juan Rodriguez just happened to be on Sky 10 at the time, so the helicopter landed briefly so that Rodriguez could help the pilot.


Firefighters arrived a short time later and had to use the Jaws of Life to rescue the pilot. He was placed on a stretcher and flown to Broward Health Medical Center.


Rodriguez said the pilot was asking for water and complained about a pain in his leg.


Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Piper PA-32 crashed about 12:45 p.m. 16 miles west of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.


Two Jacksonville attorneys, Robert Spohrer and Steven Browning, were also on the plane. They were walking around the crash site, suffering only minor injuries, and were taken to the hospital by ambulance.


Sporher is founding partner of Sporher & Dodd, and Browning is another partner in the law firm. The pilot, whose name was not released, regularly flies for the firm.


Barry Newman, a partner at Sporher & Dodd, told Jacksonville television station WJXT they are lucky to have a safe and competent pilot who did everything he could to save the passengers.


"Where the plane was and how it landed is certainly a testament to the pilot's skill in preventing further injury or even death," BSO Department of Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said.


- Source:  http://www.local10.com





Passenger being brought out from scene on golf cart.








2 comments:

  1. Any closer to Fort Lauderdale Executive, and his options for an emergency landing would have been very limited. see estimated crach location at http://tinyurl.com/p8j66w9

    ReplyDelete
  2. There's news talk that the two attorneys will probably be suing the pilots estate.

    ReplyDelete