Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Boise, Idaho
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N65EW
Location: Cascade, ID
Accident Number: WPR17LA195
Date & Time: 09/02/2017, 1030 MDT
Registration: N65EW
Aircraft: WALKER EDGAR E GLASTAR
Aircraft Damage:Destroyed
Defining Event: Miscellaneous/other
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On September 2, 2017, about 1030 mountain daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built GlaStar GS-1, N65EW, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering above a wilderness area about 15 miles east-southeast of Cascade, Idaho. The private pilot was seriously injured, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed High Valley Swanson Airport (ID35), Cascade, Idaho, at an unknown time and was destined for Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport (ID74), Cascade, Idaho.
According to the previous owner (referred to as the seller) of the airplane, he lived in Idaho and based the airplane at Nampa Municipal Airport (MAN), Nampa, Idaho. About 2 weeks before the accident, he sold the airplane to another individual (referred to as "the buyer") who lived in Georgia. Several days before the accident, the buyer notified the seller that he (the buyer) would have a friend of his (the pilot), who also lived in Georgia, come to Idaho to pick up the airplane and fly it back to Georgia.
The day before the accident, the pilot met the seller at MAN to complete the transfer of the airplane. The seller offered to fly with the pilot in order to familiarize him with the airplane, but the seller said that he could only do that if he (the seller) could fly from the left seat, since the seller had never flown from the right seat. Alternatively, the seller offered to provide a flight instructor if the pilot preferred to fly from the left seat; the pilot opted for this course of action. Later that day, the pilot and instructor flew the airplane for about 1 hour, after which the ownership transfer was completed. The pilot told the seller that he was leaving for Georgia the following morning, and did not mention any other flight plans to the seller. About 1800 the next day, the seller texted the pilot to ask how the return flight was progressing, and the pilot informed him of the accident.
According to the pilot, his cousin, who was also a pilot, lived in Idaho. The pilot flew from MAN to ID35, where he met his cousin and remained overnight. The next morning, the two departed in the airplane, with a destination of ID74. While enroute to ID74, the pilot flew into a canyon and eventually realized that the airplane was unable to outclimb the terrain. The pilot began a right turn to escape the canyon, but the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The pilot was able to use his mobile telephone to notify authorities of the accident and fatality. About 3 hours after the accident, a US Forest Service helicopter rendered assistance to the pilot. About an hour later, first responders were lowered to the pilot to prepare him for aerial extraction.
According to the helicopter pilot who effected the recovery of the pilot, smoke from a nearby forest fire reduced visibility somewhat, but the smoke was "not an issue" of impediment or concern.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 54, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Unknown
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 02/09/2017
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 998 hours (Total, all aircraft), 2 hours (Total, this make and model), 5 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Pilot-Rated Passenger Information
Certificate: Commercial
Age: 50, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s):
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s):
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s):
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/27/2001
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Total, all aircraft), 0 hours (Total, this make and model)
Pilot
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in February 2017. On his application for that certificate, the pilot indicated that he had a total flight experience of 998 hours. According to the seller, the pilot stated that he did not have any backcountry flight experience, but that he hoped to move to Idaho and begin gaining backcountry flying experience.
Pilot-Rated Passenger
FAA records indicated that the passenger's most recent commercial pilot certificate, which included single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings, was issued in May 2003. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in August 2001. No details of his flight experience, including total flight time, recency of experience, or mountain/backcountry training or flight time were obtained. The pilot did not provide any information regarding his cousin's participation in the planning or execution of the accident flight.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: WALKER EDGAR E
Registration: N65EW
Model/Series: GLASTAR GS-1
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1998
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: 5296
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1990 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-320 SERIES
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 0 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
FAA records indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1998 and had an empty weight of 1,331 lbs. The records indicated that the most recent seller was the third owner, and that he had purchased the airplane in November 2016. The airplane was equipped with a normally-aspirated Lycoming O-320 series engine, which had accumulated about 40 hours since the seller had it partially overhauled a few months after his purchase. The seller stated that the maximum allowable gross weight was about 1,990 lbs, and that the total fuel capacity was 50 gallons. Fuel records at MAN indicated that the airplane was fueled with 38.9 gallons the evening before the accident, several hours after the ownership transfer was completed.
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time:
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts:
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting:
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Partial - Smoke; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Cascade, ID (ID35)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Cascade, ID (ID74)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: MDT
Type of Airspace: Unknown
Review of meteorological information indicated that visual meteorological conditions (VMC) existed in the vicinity of the accident site about the time of the accident, and first responder reports indicated that the area remained VMC for most of the day. Based on the upper air sounding data for the accident site for 1000 local time, the temperature would have been about 19°C at the accident site elevation.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 44.411111, -115.677500 (est)
The airplane impacted terrain and came to rest on an upsloping, rocky clearing in a forested area on the sidewall of the canyon. The impact site was located about 14 miles west-southwest of ID74 at an elevation of about 7,500 ft msl. Damage to several trees was consistent with them being struck and cut by the airplane just before ground impact. The fuselage was aligned in about the same direction as the tree cut swath. There was no fire.
The wreckage was tightly contained; with the exception of the horizontal stabilizer/elevator and the propeller, all components remained attached to the airplane. The two separated components were found in close proximity to the main wreckage, and their locations and damage patterns were consistent with separation during the impact sequence. The cockpit/cabin was partially crushed, and torn open by impact. Due to impact damage, the pre-impact position of the flaps could not be determined. The left flap was found nearly fully retracted, while the right flap was found near the fully-extended position. The left wing was canted forward about 80° and the right wing was canted aft a similar amount. The left wing forward and right wing aft displacements were consistent with impact during a spin in the airplane nose right direction. The wreckage was not recovered.
Airport Information
ID35 was situated at an elevation of about 4,900 ft above mean sea level (msl). ID74 was located about 38 miles northeast of ID35 at an elevation of about 5,800 ft msl. The Sectional aeronautical chart for the region depicted high terrain with peaks ranging from about 6,700 to 8,700 ft msl between the two airports.
Additional Information
Flight Route Planning and Navigation
No ground-based radar tracking data were available for reconstruction of the airplane's flight path.
In his narrative statement on his NTSB accident reporting form, the pilot indicated that he was using GPS as his navigation tool. In additional communications to the NTSB, the pilot reported that he had previously used a Garmin GPSMap 295, but for this trip, he had access to an iPad equipped with the Foreflight application. The iPad/Foreflight hardware/software combination is capable of presenting altitude, navigation, weather, and traffic information. "Geo-referencing" is the term used to describe when such information is graphically depicted in relation to a map or aerial photo image. Geo-referencing was the primary display mode for the iPad/Foreflight combination, and included terrain display and warning capability.
The pilot reported that he used the iPad/Foreflight to determine his flight route. He was not specific about when or what method or information he used to determine the flight route. When asked, he reported that he did not enter or program any planned route into the device and that he did not have or use any paper charts before or during the flight. He reported that he used the iPad during the flight, but that it did not have the intended route of flight entered or displayed.
The pilot wrote that he "entered the canyon with both sides of the canyon below me. The canyon walls rose to the ridge-line we were trying to fly over, but the [accident airplane] climb performance deteriorated to the point that it would not clear the terrain ahead. The ridge-line ahead was above me and I could clearly see this when entering the canyon without looking at the iPad. I judged we had enough distance ahead to climb over the ridge." Once he recognized that the airplane would not outclimb the terrain, the pilot executed a right turn to reverse course, but then stalled the airplane during that turn.
In the "recommendation" section of the NTSB reporting form, the pilot wrote that one should enter a box canyon at an altitude above that of the canyon walls. He also stated that instruction in mountain flying could have aided in preventing this accident.
Airplane Performance
In communications with the NTSB, the pilot stated that he was unfamiliar with the airplane, particularly its climb performance, and that he incorrectly overestimated its actual climb capability. The kit manufacturer's Owner's Manual (OM) did not contain an Airplane Performance section. The only climb-related information in the OM was in the Normal Operating Procedures section, which presented the speeds for best angle of climb (75 mph) and best rate of climb (90 mph). The pilot did not report what speed he used in his attempt to climb above the terrain.
The pilot stated that he was concerned by the fact that the engine was operating with cylinder head temperatures above 415°F, despite the fact that the previous owner told him that "the engine shop that built the engine assured him that was normal and not to worry." The investigation was unable to obtain any engine performance data to allow determination of the effect of the higher-than-expected CHT values on the airplane's climb capability. Based on the airplane empty weight, fuel load, and number of persons on board, the airplane weighed about 1,800 lbs at the time of the accident. The kit manufacturer specified a maximum gross weight of 1,960 lbs.
Stalls
Stall and stall speed information was presented in the Limitations and Normal Operating Procedures sections of the OM. No explicit stall speeds were published, and the airplane was not equipped with a stall warning system or an angle of attack indication system.
Wings-level stall speeds for maximum gross weights were indirectly provided in the Limitations section via the kit manufacturer's designations of the bottoms of the white and green arcs on the airspeed indicator. The OM stated that the lower limit of the white arc (denoting the full-flap stall speed) was 49 mph, and the lower limit of the green arc (denoting the zero-flap stall speed) was 56 mph. The OM Limitations section stated that those values were derived from the kit manufacturer's test airplane. The OM then stated that, "Slight variations may be experienced in customer-built aircraft. Actual stall speeds should be determined from flight test of each individual aircraft, and the airspeed indicator markings should be adjusted appropriately."
The OM was not annotated with any other stall speed information. NTSB personnel did not examine or document the wreckage, and the on-scene documentation of the wreckage by other personnel did not depict or note the actual airspeed indicator markings. The pilot reported that he had deployed two notches of flaps (not full) at an undetermined time just prior to or during the turn. The stall speed for that flap setting is unknown, but would be in the range between the zero-flaps and full-flaps stall speeds cited above.
Stall speed varies directly with weight; decreased weight will decrease stall speed. Based on an estimated accident weight of 1,800 lbs, the wings-level stall speeds for the flight would have been about 2 mph less than the values in the OM. Stall speed also varies as a function of the bank angle; the stall speeds would have increased about 20 mph for this airplane in a 60° bank. The pilot did not report the speed at which he entered the course reversal turn or the bank angle or speed(s) he used in the turn.
The Normal Operating Procedures section of the OM stated that, "power-on stalls tend to be more aggressive than power-off stalls. The stall has a more defined break, and the torque effects of the engine and propeller induce rolling and yawing forces…that make a wing drop more likely to occur. These yawing forces make the development of a stall into a spin more likely…however power-on stalls are still extremely predictable and controllable." The OM stated that the "break of a power-on stall is preceded by a significant amount of airframe buffeting, which provides a clear 3-5 kt. warning period before the onset of the stall." The pilot did not report whether he noticed any pre-stall buffet.
Turn Radius and Mountain Flying
The FAA publication Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge states that turn radius is directly proportional to airspeed, and inversely proportional to bank angle. For a constant bank angle, turn radius increases with increased airspeed, and for a constant airspeed, turn radius decreases with increased bank angle. A minimum-radius turn would result from using the lowest airspeed and highest bank angle that still provide sufficient stall margin. Reduced stall speeds that result from flap extension can be used to reduce turn speed and resultant turn radius.
Commercially-available mountain flying training guidance advocates that when flying into a canyon, winds and turbulence permitting, instead of flying near the center of canyon, the pilot should offset the flight path to the side. The purpose is to pre-position the airplane in order to provide the most terrain clearance in the event that a course reversal turn becomes necessary. The pilot did not specify the lateral position of the airplane in the canyon during the ingress, or any details of how he attempted to execute the course reversal turn.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 02, 2017 in Cascade, ID
Aircraft: WALKER EDGAR E GLASTAR, registration: N65EW
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious.
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 September 2, 2017, about 1030 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Glastar GS-1, N65EW, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during maneuvering flight above a federal wilderness about 15 miles east-southeast of Cascade, Idaho. The private pilot was seriously injured, and his pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to the previous owner ("the seller") of the airplane, he lived in Idaho and based the airplane at Nampa Municipal Airport (MAN), Nampa, Idaho. About two weeks before the accident, he sold the airplane to another individual ("the buyer") who lived in Georgia. Several days before the accident, the buyer notified the seller that he was having a friend of his, who also lived in Georgia, come to Idaho to pick up the airplane and fly it back to Georgia. On September 1, the pilot met the seller at MAN to complete the transfer of the airplane. The seller offered to fly with the pilot in order to familiarize him with the airplane, but said that he could only do that if the seller could fly from the left seat, since he had never flown from the right seat. Alternatively, the seller also offered to provide a certified flight instructor (CFI) if the pilot preferred to fly from the left seat; the pilot opted for this course of action. Later that day, the pilot and CFI flew the airplane for about one and a half hours, after which the ownership transfer was completed. The pilot told the seller that he was leaving for Georgia the following morning, and did not mention any other flight plans to the seller. About 6pm the next day (September 2), the seller texted the pilot to ask how the return flight was progressing, and the pilot informed him of the accident.
According to the pilot, his cousin, who was also a pilot, lived in Idaho, and the two planned to take the airplane to a private backcountry airstrip, Sulfur Creek Ranch Airport, (ID74), Cascade, Idaho. At some point enroute to ID74, the pilot inadvertently flew into a "box canyon," and realized that the airplane was unable to out climb the terrain. He began executing a course reversal turn to escape, but the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. The pilot was able to use his mobile telephone to notify authorities of the accident. About 3 hours after the accident, a US Forest Service helicopter rendered assistance to the pilot. About an hour later, first responders were lowered to the pilot to prepare him for aerial extraction.
The wreckage was tightly contained on a rocky clearing in a forested area. The left wing was canted forward about 80 degrees, and the right wing was canted aft a similar amount. The two-blade propeller and hub had separated from the engine, and were located in a ravine about 150 feet forward of the wreckage. There was no fire. The impact site elevation was approximately 7,500 feet above mean sea level. According to the helicopter pilot who effected the recovery of the pilot, smoke from a nearby forest fire reduced visibility somewhat, but the smoke was "not an issue" of impediment or concern.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in February 2017. On his application for that certificate, the pilot indicated that he had a total flight experience of 998 hours. According to the seller, the pilot told him that he (the pilot) did not have any backcountry flight experience, but that he hoped to move to Idaho and begin gaining backcountry flying experience.
FAA records indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1998, and had an empty weight of 1,331 lbs. The records indicated that the current seller had purchased the airplane in November 2016, and that he was the third owner. According to the seller, the airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-320 series engine, and he had accumulated about 40 hours on the engine since he had had it partially overhauled a few months after he purchased the airplane. The seller stated that the maximum allowable gross weight was about 1,990 lbs., and that the total fuel capacity was 50 gallons. Fuel records at NAM indicated that the airplane was fueled with 38.9 gallons at about 5 pm on September 1, which was several hours after the ownership transfer was completed.
Review of meteorological information indicated that visual meteorological conditions (VMC) existed at the accident locale about the time of the accident, and first responder reports indicated that the area remained VMC for most of the day. Based on the upper air sounding data for the accident site for 1000 local time, the temperature would have been 19.2 degrees C at the accident site elevation.
David Henderson passed away suddenly on September 2, 2017, as a result of a small aircraft accident near Sulphur Creek Ranch, Idaho. A loving husband, father, son and brother, he will be dearly missed by his family, countless friends, and co-workers. David was born May 22, 1967, at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho, the first of two children born to Al and Pat Henderson.He attended Cole Elementary, Fairmont Junior High, and graduated Capital High School in 1985. David was a starting offensive guard on Capital's Championship football team, and was very active in the Young Life community. Following high school he attended the University of Idaho and later enlisted in the United States Navy, where he earned his degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and worked as an air traffic controller at the Alameda NAS in California.
David moved back home to Boise where for the past 19 years he has been employed by Hewlett-Packard. His life was made complete when he met Tracy Jameson in 1998. They were married on January 9, 1999, and were blessed with three beautiful daughters.
David loved the Lord, and will always be remembered for his tremendously kind and generous heart. He quietly gave support and love to many people & families in need.
David is survived by his loving wife Tracy and three daughters Makenna, Faith and Hope; his parents Al and Pat Henderson; brother Dan and his wife Barbara and their son, Jack. He is survived by Jim and Sue Jameson, Tracy's parents, and Tracy's brother, Brad. There are many aunts, uncles, and cousins too numerous to mention who were important to David.
A celebration of the gift of David's wonderful life will be held Saturday, September 16th at 1:00 p.m., at Vineyard Boise Church at 4950 N. Bradley St., Garden City, ID 83714. Please come in casual, bright attire, ready to laugh and share. No suits or mourning black! Funeral arrangements are being handled by Alden-Waggoner. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be made to Young Life, PO Box 4056, Boise, ID, 83711, or the Hope House, 7696 Old Bruneau Hwy, Marsing, ID 83639
CASCADE -- One man was killed and another injured when a small airplane crashed in Cascade Saturday morning.
The crash happened at 10:38 a.m. in a remote area near the Sulfur Creek Air Strip.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office says the pilot, 54-year-old Andrew D. Akin of Griffin, Georgia, told dispatchers his plane had stalled out and he had been forced to crash-land.
Akin said he was injured, and needed medical help. He also told the sheriff's office that his only passenger, 50-year-old David R. Henderson of Boise, was killed in the crash.
Sheriff's officials began working to find the wreckage and the injured man, pinging his cell phone to get a general location. A LifeFlight was then dispatched to see if they could reach the pilot.
After several more pings of the man's cellphone, however, his location was less clear. At 11:30 a.m., the United States Air Force contacted the sheriff's office with GPS information for the plane's emergency radio beacon. The pilot also called dispatch again, and was able to describe where he was.
After determining that the LifeFlight helicopter would not be able to rescue the pilot, the sheriff's office called in Two Bear Air out of Flathead County, Montana, while the LifeFlight and its crew waited at Sulfur Creek Air Strip.
The sheriff's office also reached out to the Boise National Forest Dispatch Center, which was coordinating the fight against the Bearskin Fire.
A crew in a Forest Service helicopter spotted the wrecked plane at 1:20 p.m., and dropped a first-aid kit down to the pilot.
A little more than an hour later, Two Bear Air, lowered a rescue specialist down to the crash site to get the injured man. He was taken to the Cascade Airport, then flown to a local hospital by LifeFlight.
Henderson's body was recovered from the wrecked plane. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and will investigate the crash.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the 2 men involved in this crash," the sheriff's office wrote in a release.
Original article can be found here: http://www.ktvb.com
VALLEY COUNTY, ID - A Boise man is dead and a Georgia man is in the hospital following a weekend plane crash in Valley County.
About 130 a.m. Saturday, September 2nd, the Valley County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 transfer call from the Boise County Sheriff’s Office.
“The caller stated he was a pilot of a small airplane which had crashed near the Sulfur Creek Air Strip. (He said) his plane stalled and he was forced to crash land. The pilot stated he was injured and needed medical help. We were also told the sole passenger in the plane had died in the crash,” said valley County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Jason Speer.
The Valley County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center started working to dispatch rescuers to the crash site.
“We contacted the Boise County Sheriff’s Office and learned their Phase 2 9-1-1 equipment did not function correctly with this call. Contact with Verizon Wireless was made and a ping of the cell phone was conducted to get a general location of the pilot,” Speer explained. “Once GPS coordinates were received, the Valley County Sheriff’s Office requested Life Flight to launch -- to see if their crew could locate and provide medical assistance to the pilot. As further pings were conducted the location of the pilot was less clear.”
About 11:30 a.m., the United States Air Force contacted the Valley County Communication Center and gave GPS location information on the plane. “We also received another phone call from the pilot where he described his location. Given this latest information, it was clear Life Flight wouldn’t be able to affect the rescue of the pilot,” Speer said.
Valley County Sheriff Patti Bolen then authorized the request for Two Bear Air out of Flathead County, Montana. “We provided this information to Life Flight, and they decided to land at the Sulfur Creek Airstrip to await Two Bear Air. At that time, the Communications Center contacted the Boise National Forest Dispatch Center to advise we were bringing two helicopters into the area of Bearskin Fire Operations,” Speer said.
About 1:20 p.m., a Forest Service helicopter crew located the crash and dropped a first aid kit to the pilot. “It was observed that the pilot was injured and needed assistance,” Speer stated.
About an hour later, Two Bear Air lowered a rescue specialist down to the crash site and rescued the pilot. He was then airlifted to the Cascade Airport and taken by Life Flight to Boise.
“Two Bear Air then transported a detective from the Valley County Sheriff’s Office to the crash site and lowered him and the rescue specialist down to the crash site,” Speer said.
The deceased passenger was hoisted from the scene and transported to the Cascade Airport, where the Valley County Coroner took possession of the body.
The pilot has been identified as Andrew D. Akin, 54, of Griffin, Georgia. The passenger has been identified as David R. Henderson, 50, of Boise.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kivitv.com
David R. Henderson, 50, of Boise was killed and Andrew D. Akin, 54, of Griffin, Ga. was injured Saturday when their aircraft went down somewhere near the Sulphur Creek Ranch airstrip.
The Valley County Sheriff’s Office released the men’s names Monday morning in a press statement describing the rescue effort. Dispatchers said the plane was attempting to make it to the airstrip before it crashed.
Akin, the pilot, was apparently able to call 911. Due to the remote, forested location of the crash, it took four hours for a mountain rescue crew out of Montana to retrieve him.
The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board has investigators on the way, according to the sheriff’s office. Akin reportedly told dispatchers his plane stalled and he was forced to land it.
Dispatchers on Monday did not know where the plane was coming from before it crashed on its way to the airstrip.
The exact model of Akin’s plane was not clear, other than it was a personal plane. Photos show a small aircraft crashed amid trees on a mountainside.
Henderson died in the crash, Akin told dispatchers.
Akin’s call first reached Boise County’s 911 dispatch, which transferred him over to Valley County at 10:38 a.m.
Rescuers first tried to ping Akin’s cellphone to find his location. That apparently was not completely successful, but the sheriff’s office was able to instead use detailed GPS coordinates provided by the U.S. Air Force from an emergency radio beacon on the plane.
A traditional air ambulance wasn’t equipped for the terrain, so Valley County turned to Two Bear Air out of Montana, which specializes in mountain search and rescue.
A Forest Service helicopter flew over the area at about 1:20 p.m. and dropped off a first aid kit for Akin.
Two Bear Air arrived at 2:36 p.m. and flew Akin to Cascade, where paramedics with a ground ambulance cared for him until an air ambulance picked him up.
Two Bear Air also took a sheriff’s office detective to the crash site, and helped retrieve Henderson’s body.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.idahostatesman.com
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