Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Riverside, California
Confederate Air Force; Dallas, Texas
American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum: http://registry.faa.gov/N2AN
NTSB Identification: WPR16LA101
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 06, 2016 in San Bernardino, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/01/2017
Aircraft: ANTONOV AN2, registration: N2AN
Injuries: 2 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.
The commercial pilot was entering the airport traffic pattern for landing during a familiarization flight. He reported that he turned on the carburetor heat, switched the fuel tank selector to the right fuel tank, and shortly thereafter, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot attempted numerous times to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. After realizing that he would not be able to reach the runway, he decided to make a forced landing to a small field. During the landing approach, the airplane contacted a power line, nosed over, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
During the postaccident examination of the airplane, about 16 ounces of water were removed from the fuel system. Water was present in the lower gascolator, the fine fuel filter (upper gascolator), and subsequent fuel line to the carburetor inlet. A brass screen at the carburetor inlet and 2 carburetor fuel bowl thumb screens also contained corrosion, water, and rust.
The approved aircraft inspection checklist called for washing the carburetor and main fuel filter every 50 hours and cleaning and/or replacing the fine fuel filter every 100 hours. The fine fuel filter is not easily accessible and not able to be drained during a preflight inspection. The mechanic who completed the most recent inspection stated that he did not drain or check the fine fuel filter. The last logbook entry that specifically stated the fuel filters were cleaned was about 4 years before the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The mechanic’s failure to inspect the fine fuel filter gascolator as required during the most recent inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
On May 06, 2016, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, an ANTONOV AN2 airplane, N2AN, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, following a reported loss of engine power during approach to the San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino, California. The airplane was owned by the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, and was being operated by the pilot as a familiarization flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight. The airplane departed the Cable Airport, Upland, California, about 1145.
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that the flight was a familiarization flight for a new member of their chapter of the Commemorative Air Force. The flight departed the Cable airport and flew east along the mountains, headed to San Bernardino. They contacted the San Bernardino tower and were instructed to enter the crosswind for runway 24. As part of the before landing checklist, the pilot turned on the carburetor heat and switched the fuel tank selector to the right fuel tank. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted numerous times to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful.
The pilot realized that he would not be able to reach the airport, and decided to make a forced landing to a small field in a residential area. During the landing approach, the airplane contacted a power line. After touching down in the field the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
During the NTSB examination of the airplane, about 16 ounces of water was removed from the fuel system. Water was present in the lower gascolator, the fine fuel filter (upper gascolator), and subsequent fuel line to the carburetor inlet. A brass screen at the carburetor inlet and 2 carburetor fuel bowl thumb screens also contained corrosion, water and rust. (See Photo 1.)
The approved aircraft inspection checklist called for washing the carburetor and main fuel filter every 50 hours and cleaning and/or replacing the fine fuel filter every 100 hours. The fine fuel filter located halfway up the firewall on the left side of the aircraft is not easily accessible and not in a position to be drained prior to flight. The mechanic that completed the most recent inspection stated that he did not drain or check the fine fuel filter. The last logbook entry that specifically stated the fuel filters were cleaned was in September 2012.
NTSB Identification: WPR16LA101
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 06, 2016 in San Bernardino, CA
Aircraft: ANTONOV AN2, registration: N2AN
Injuries: 2 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.
On May 06, 2016, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, an ANTONOV AN2 airplane, N2AN, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, following a reported loss of engine power during approach to the San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino, California. The airplane was owned by the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, and was being operated by the pilot as a familiarization flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight. The airplane departed the Cable Airport, Upland, California, about 1145.
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that the flight was a familiarization flight for a new member of their chapter of the Commemorative Air Force. The flight departed the Cable airport and flew east along the mountains, headed to San Bernardino. They contacted the San Bernardino tower and were instructed to enter the crosswind for runway 24. As part of the before landing checklist, the pilot turned on the carburetor heat and switched the fuel tank selector to the right fuel tank. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted numerous times to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful.
The pilot realized that he would not be able to reach the airport, and decided to make a forced landing to a small field in a residential area. During the landing approach, the airplane contacted a power line. After touching down in the field the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
During the NTSB examination of the airplane, about 16 ounces of water was removed from the fuel system. Water was present in the lower gascolator, the fine fuel filter (upper gascolator), and subsequent fuel line to the carburetor inlet. A brass screen at the carburetor inlet and 2 carburetor fuel bowl thumb screens also contained corrosion, water and rust. (See Photo 1.)
The approved aircraft inspection checklist called for washing the carburetor and main fuel filter every 50 hours and cleaning and/or replacing the fine fuel filter every 100 hours. The fine fuel filter located halfway up the firewall on the left side of the aircraft is not easily accessible and not in a position to be drained prior to flight. The mechanic that completed the most recent inspection stated that he did not drain or check the fine fuel filter. The last logbook entry that specifically stated the fuel filters were cleaned was in September 2012.
NTSB Identification: WPR16LA101
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 06, 2016 in San Bernardino, CA
Aircraft: ANTONOV AN2, registration: N2AN
Injuries: 2 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 May 06, 2016, about 1200 Pacific daylight time, an ANTONOV AN2 airplane, N2AN, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, following a reported loss of engine power during approach to the San Bernardino International Airport, San Bernardino, California. The airplane was owned by the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, and was being operated by the pilot as a familiarization flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration flight plan had been filed for the flight. The airplane departed the Cable Airport, Upland, California, about 1145.
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that the flight was a familiarization flight for a new member of their chapter of the Commemorative Air Force. The flight departed the Cable airport and flew east along the mountains, headed to San Bernardino. They contacted the San Bernardino tower and were instructed to enter the crosswind for runway 24. As part of the before landing checklist, the pilot turned on the carburetor heat and switched the fuel tank selector to the right fuel tank. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted numerous times to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful.
The pilot realized that he would not be able to reach the airport, and decided to make a forced landing to a small field in a residential area. During the landing approach, the airplane contacted a power line. After touching down in the field the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
A detailed examination of the airframe and engine are pending.
The Antonov 2R lane crash-landed upside down in an empty field near the school, authorities at the scene said.
The pilot and single passenger were seen walking away from the wreckage.
According to the San Bernardino City Unified School District Twitter account, no one at the nearby school was hurt.
“The engine quit,” pilot Cliff Heathcoat said of the routine landing approach that turned into an emergency. “I thought we had the airport made. But when we got closer, it was obvious we weren’t going to make it.”
Heathcoat said he tried everything he could think of to restart the engine: working the throttle, switching ignition systems, and trying different fuel tanks.
“I was running out of options,” he recalled. So he focused on making a forced landing in the only open field in a congested neighborhood just north of the airport.
“Dude, there were houses everywhere,” he said. “We put it down in a little patch — maybe 10 to 20 acres — with houses all around. That was scary.
“We were fortunate.”
Reaching that field compelled Heathcoat to stretch the airplane’s gliding characteristics to the absolute extreme.
Unable to maintain the plane’s approach speed of 60 mph, Heathcoat slowed to just 35.
And that’s when the biplane hit the power lines.
“That brought the nose down, and we hit the ground,” he said. “The (landing) gear dug in, and it skipped along on its nose. Then it (rose) up on its nose and flipped onto its back.”
Heathcoat and his co-pilot — the only people aboard — scrambled out of the overturned plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is aware of the crash, said agency spokesman Ian Gregor.
The plane “experienced engine failure on approach to San Bernardino International Airport,” said Gregor in an email. “Damage to the aircraft is unknown at this time.”
As the plane descended and clipped power and phone lines, it caused a power outage in the area, according to authorities on scene.
More than 3,000 Southern California Edison customers in the area, including the elementary school, were initially without power Friday afternoon.
As of 2 p.m., power was restored to all but 179 SCE customers, said Paul Netter, spokesman for the power company. Crews were working to get power back to all customers by Friday night.
SCE officials said they were working to try to confirm the outage was due to the crash.
School officials established an emergency line for parents to call after phone service was knocked out to Lankershim Elementary, according to a school district post. It warned those calling 909-862-1899 to be patient as only one call at a time could be taken.
The Antonov 2R is housed at Cable Airport in Upland, airport manager Stephen Dunn said.
The aircraft, operated by the Cable Airport-based Commemorative Air Force and its pilot, Heathcoat, has been “a fixture in the skies around the airport” for decades, Dunn said. “It typically makes all the local air shows.”
Cable Airport President Bob Cable was married to his wife in a ceremony inside the aircraft during a flight, Dunn said.
The plane is known as “Big Panda.” It bears nose art of a panda and the words “Big Panda Monium.”
Airport staff had been in touch with the pilot, who relayed that he was fine, Dunn said.
An-2s represent the largest single-engine biplanes in the world, Dunn said. The type involved in Friday’s crash was likely outfitted originally as a troop transport craft.
The big yellow airplane garners quite a bit of attention, he added. When parked at Cable Airport, “It’s so large, it can be seen off Vincent Avenue.”
The Russian-designed biplane was built to carry 12 fully equipped paratroopers and a crew of two — and to survive virtually any emergency landing, according to Heathcoat.
Most planes stall and crash when flown too slowly. But the An-2 handbook teaches pilots that in an extreme emergency, they can pull the yoke all the way back to their chest and let the airplane mush into the ground.
“And you will impact the ground at a ‘survivable rate,’ ” Heathcoat quotes from the book, adding that the advice is exactly correct. “We’re living proof.”
Story and video: http://www.sbsun.com
A small airplane crashed in a field near Ninth Street and Lankershim Avenue in Highland about a block from Lankershim Elementary School Friday.
The Antonov 2R plane crash-landed upside down in an empty field near the school, authorities at the scene said.
“The engine quit,” pilot Cliff Heathcoat said of the routine landing approach-turned-emergency. “I thought we had the airport made. But when we got closer, it was obvious we weren’t going to make it.”
Heathcoat said he tried everything he could think of to restart the engine: Working the throttle, switching ignition systems, and trying different fuel tanks.
“I was running out of options,” he recalled. So he focused on making a forced landing in the only open field in a congested neighborhood just north of the airport.
“Dude, there were houses everywhere,” he said. “We put it down in a little patch – maybe 10 to 20 acres – with houses all around. That was scary.
“We were fortunate.”
Reaching that field compelled Heathcoat to stretch the airplane’s gliding characteristics to the absolute extreme.
Unable to maintain the plane’s approach speed of 60 mph, Heathcoat slowed to just 35.
And that’s when the big biplane hit the power lines.
“That brought the nose down, and we hit the ground,” he said. “The (landing) gear dug in, and it skipped along on its nose. Then it (rose) up on its nose and flipped onto its back.”
Heathcoat and his co-pilot – the only people aboard – scrambled out of the overturned plane.
The pilot and single passenger were seen walking away from the wreckage.
According to the San Bernardino City Unified School District Twitter account, no one at the nearby school was hurt.
The Federal Aviation Administration is aware of the crash, according to Ian Gregor, spokesman for the federal agency.
The plane “experienced engine failure on approach to San Bernardino International Airport,” said Gregor in an email. “Damage to the aircraft is unknown at this time.”
As the plane descended and clipped power and phone lines, it caused a power outage in the area, according to authorities on scene.
Story and video: http://www.pe.com
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