Saturday, May 27, 2017

Cessna 172 Skyhawk, N999AR: Student pilot veered off runway during touch and go landing, aircraft drove through scrub brush and was arrested by a barbed wire fence line




































AIRCRAFT:   1976 Cessna 172 Skyhawk N999AR, s/n: 1726006

ENGINE - Lycoming O-320-E2D, s/n:  L-340-27A

PROPELLER – McCauley 1C160/CTM 7557, s/n: 721318

APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated TT & TSMO from logbooks or other information):

Airframe: The airframe had a 100 hour inspection completed 03/13/2017 at Tach time 6059.5, TTAF 6059.5, Hobbs 3430.7, and an Annual Inspection on 04/18/16. 

The current Tach is 6089.41 and Hobbs 3470.0.

Engine:     The engine was overhauled at the last Annual inspection on 04/18/2016 at Tach 5896.35.  The current Tach is 6089.41

Propeller:  The prop log records a 100 hour inspection on 03/13/2017 at Tach 6059.5, Hobbs 3430.7, and TSMOH 2849.47. 

EQUIPMENT:  GNS 430, GMA 340 (copilot), GTX 327, Inop MX 300 COM

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  Student pilot veered off runway during touch and go landing. The aircraft drove through scrub brush and was arrested by a barbed wire fence line.

DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES:  The prop requires inspection and the engine requires a prop strike inspection.  The damage also includes but may not be limited to damage to the leading edge of both wings where the wings came into contact with trees.  The right wingtip is destroyed. A metal fence stave/post sliced the belly of the aircraft open with a five foot gash aft of the left main landing gear.

LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT:   The aircraft was recovered to the Monroeville Airport FBO line where it is tied down.

REMARKS:  Logbooks include ONLY the following: 

Airframe log - starts March of 2004 - the insured states the prior owner confirmed there are no prior logs.

Engine log starts at the OH 03/24/15

Prop log starts at the OH on 08/24/2009

Read more here:  http://www.avclaims.com/N999AR.htm

Cessna 175 Skylark, N6832D: Accident occurred May 26, 2017 near San Gabriel Valley Airport (KEMT), El Monte, Los Angeles County, California

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

Additional Participating Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration; Lawndale, California
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas

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


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


http://registry.faa.gov/N6832D 




Location: El Monte, CA
Accident Number: WPR17LA112
Date & Time: 05/26/2017, 2015 PDT
Registration: N6832D
Aircraft: CESSNA 175
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 3 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On May 26, 2017, about 2015 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 175, N6832D, sustained substantial damage after it veered from the runway and impacted trees at San Gabriel Valley Airport (EMT), El Monte, California. The airplane was registered to a private party and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local instructional flight. The certified flight instructor (CFI), student pilot receiving instruction and passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight departed EMT, about 1900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.

In written statements, it was reported that the flight had successfully completed multiple touch and go landings prior to the accident. On the eighth landing, with the student pilot at the controls, just before touchdown, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway. As the airplane touched down, the CFI applied full left rudder input. The nose of the airplane yawed to the right. The student pilot applied full power and the airplane became airborne again with the stall horn briefly sounding. The flight instructor pushed the nose down, but the control had no travel. The airplane banked to the left and right as the flight instructor continued to try and regain control. The airplane subsequently settled back to the ground and impacted a drainage channel and trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and firewall.

After the wreckage was recovered, the flight control system was examined. Aileron control cable continuity was established from the control yokes to the left and right aileron bell cranks. The aileron control chains remained on the yoke sprockets and the interconnect pulleys operated normally. Flap control cable continuity was established from the manual flap handle to the flap bell cranks. Flap impact witness marks on the left side of the fuselage confirmed the flaps were extended 30o at the time of impact. The elevator push/pull tube remained attached to the base of the control yoke. The cables were continuous to the aft elevator bell crank. The elevator trim tab cables were continuous from the control wheel to the right horizontal stabilizer root area. Rudder control cable continuity was established from the rudder pedals to the rudder horn. The rudder return springs were in place and operated normally.

A review of the aircraft maintenance logbook indicated that during the last annual inspection, which was accomplished on May 18, 2017, all inspection panels were opened and all pulleys, rod ends and hinges were lubed. 

Flight Instructor Information

Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 37, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/15/2014
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 2560 hours (Total, all aircraft), 450 hours (Total, this make and model), 2504 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 85 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft) 

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 42, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/30/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 59 hours (Total, all aircraft), 59 hours (Total, this make and model), 1 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: CESSNA
Registration: N6832D
Model/Series: 175 UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1959
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 55751
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 05/18/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2348 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A1A
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 145 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Dusk
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPOC, 1011 ft msl
Observation Time: 0347 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 87°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 15°C / 9°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots, 270°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: El Monte, CA (EMT)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: El Monte, CA (EMT)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:  PDT
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Airport Information

Airport: SAN GABRIEL VALLEY (EMT)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 295 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 19
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3995 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Touch and Go 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Minor

Latitude, Longitude: 34.088611, -118.033889 (est)

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA112
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 26, 2017 in El Monte, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 175, registration: N6832D
Injuries: 3 Minor.

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 26, 2017, about 2015 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Cessna 175, N6832D, sustained substantial damage after it veered from the runway and impacted trees at San Gabriel Valley Airport (EMT), El Monte, California. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private party and was being flown by a friend under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI), student pilot receiving instruction and passenger sustained minor injuries. The local instructional flight departed El Monte, California, about 1900 PDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.


The CFI reported that they successfully completed multiple touch and go landings prior to the accident. He reported that on the eighth landing, just before touchdown, the airplane drifted to the right of the runway. As the airplane touched down, the CFI directed the student to apply left rudder which had no effect. The CFI applied left rudder, but it did not affect the airplane's track. At that point, the student pilot applied full throttle in an attempt to abort the landing; The airplane momentarily became airborne; however, settled back to the ground and subsequently impacted a drainage channel. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and firewall.
====

EL MONTE (CBSLA.com) – Three people were injured after a small plane crashed in a wash that runs parallel to the San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte Friday night.

The Cessna 175 crashed around 8:30 p.m. in the area Ranger Avenue and Whitney Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The aircraft landed just feet away from some homes. “I was lucky that he didn’t come to my house,” one resident said.

Oil was leaking from the wreckage. “The motor came off of it ...  We put a blanket of foam around the actual plane itself. After that, we secured the plane” said Capt. Art Jimenez of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

A pilot and two passengers aboard the plane suffered minor injuries.

The circumstances of the crash were not immediately confirmed.

Story and video:  http://losangeles.cbslocal.com

EL MONTE >> Three people suffered apparently minor injuries after a small airplane crash-landed in a wash next to the San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte on Friday night, officials said.

The incident was first reported at 8:16 p.m., El Monte police Lt. Ben Lowry said.

A small airplane went down in a wash alongside the Rio Hondo River just west of the airport, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Ron Haralson said.

Three patients were treated for injuries described as minor, the captain said. There were no initial reports of any fire involved with the incident.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the aircraft had been described as a Cessna C175, and had “crashed off airport under unknown circumstances.” The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating.

Federal Aviation Administration records showed the tail number painted on the aircraft belonged to a single-engine Cessna 175, manufactured in 1959, with a valid flight status through November of 2019 and a registered owner based in Montebello.

Original article can be found here: http://www.sgvtribune.com

A small plane crashed in Temple City near the San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte on Friday night, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Authorities were called to the scene near Rio Hondo River and Lower Azusa around 8:22 p.m. after receiving reports of a plane down, the Department said.

There were three people on onboard the plane, identified as a Cessna C175, and none were seriously injured, according to Ian Gregor with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The pilot and two passengers were able to extract themselves from the plane and were transported to a local hospital, police said.

"The victims are all doing okay right now. They're at County USC Medical Center; there were no life threatening injuries and they self-extricated out of the plane," said Art Jimenez with the LAFD. "The Cessna did crash into the wash itself and then actually crash landed into a tree against the wall behind these neighbor's facility."

Over five gallons of fuel leaked onto the ground next to the trees and authorities had to put a blanket of foam around the aircraft to prevent fire, Jimenez added.

Story and video:  http://ktla.com

Beechcraft C23 Sundowner, N9246S: Accident occurred June 18, 2016 near Ernest A. Love Field Airport (KPRC), Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona

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

NTSB Identification: WPR16LA128 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 18, 2016 in Prescott, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/28/2017
Aircraft: BEECH C23, registration: N9246S
Injuries: 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.

The pilot/owner and the pilot-rated passenger were making a multiple-leg cross-country trip. The day before the accident on two legs of the trip, the airplane’s engine had run rough and experienced a partial power loss; both instances occurred after reaching cruise flight altitude and leaning the engine’s fuel/air mixture. Due to the engine anomaly, the pilots elected to divert the night before the accident rather than continuing to the final destination in night conditions. The pilot/owner then consulted her mechanic, who attributed the power loss to vapor lock as a result of the weather conditions and instructed her to lean the mixture during the next pre-takeoff engine run-up.

The next morning, the pilots performed a preflight inspection. The airplane was not fueled before departure, and both pilots stated that the fuel onboard was adequate for the flight; however, neither provided the specific fuel quantity contained in each tank. The pilots departed with the left fuel tank selected and established a cruise altitude of 10,500 ft; the pilot/owner stated that she “did not lean the mixture at all” during the flight. About 50 minutes from the destination, the pilots switched the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right tank. Nearing their destination airport, they initiated a cruise descent and retarded the throttle to 1,800 rpm; the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. They attempted to restore engine power by cycling the throttle and mixture control but were unable to restart the engine. They did not switch fuel tanks. After determining that the airplane would not reach the runway, the pilots performed a forced landing to desert terrain. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground hard and bounced before it came to rest in an area of sparse desert vegetation about 1/2 mile from the airport. 

A postaccident examination revealed that the fuel system was intact and not damaged during the accident; the right tank was found void of fuel, and the left tank contained about 10 gallons. Examination of the fuel sensor system showed that both the left and right fuel gauges erroneously indicated fuel was available when the fuel transmitters were placed in the empty position. An engine test run revealed no anomalies.

Based on the information provided by the pilots, the airplane likely departed on the accident flight with about 30 total gallons of fuel. Although fuel computations using the pilots’ flight plan indicated that the right fuel tank, which was selected at the time of the engine power loss, should have had about 8 gallons of usable fuel remaining, the tank was void of fuel at the accident site.

The fuel consumption figures provided in the pilot’s operating handbook indicated that the airplane’s fuel consumption during the flight would have ranged from about 8.7 gallons per hour (gph) to 10.2 gph depending on the engine power setting and with the fuel-air mixture leaned to maximum power then slightly enrichened. Given that the fuel system was intact and that the right tank was completely void of fuel, the loss of power was likely the result of fuel starvation due to inflight fuel mismanagement. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilots' improper inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania

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

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

http://registry.faa.gov/N9246S




NTSB Identification: WPR16LA128 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 18, 2016 in Prescott, AZ
Aircraft: BEECH C23, registration: N9246S
Injuries: 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.

On June 18, 2016, about 0815 mountain standard time, a Beech C23 airplane, N9246S, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power near Prescott, Arizona. The private pilot/owner was not injured, and the pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-county flight, which departed Grants-Milan Municipal Airport (GNT), Grants, New Mexico about 0715 mountain daylight time. The personal flight was destined for Ernest A. Love Field Airport (PRC), Prescott, Arizona.

The pilots were participating in a point-to-point air race event. They departed Philip Billard Municipal Airport (TOP), Topeka, Kansas, the previous day at 0815 central time with about 52 gallons of fuel onboard. They reached a cruise altitude of 6,500 feet and flew for about 4 hours before they arrived at their second waypoint, Dalhart Municipal Airport (DHT), Dalhart, Texas. After they topped off the fuel tanks with 35.5 gallons of fuel, they departed for Tucumcari, New Mexico (TCC). As they reached their cruise altitude of 8,500 ft, they leaned the mixture control and, moments later, the engine lost power. The pilot enrichened the mixture and engaged the fuel boost pump and the engine "came back to life."  Later in the flight, an Air Route Traffic Control Center controller informed the pilot of a temporary flight restriction (TFR) along their route of flight. After 2 hours and 20 minutes of flight, the pilots chose to land at an airport in Sandia, New Mexico to adjust their route of flight around the TFR. They subsequently departed to the east and flew an indirect route to Socorro Municipal Airport (ONM), Socorro, New Mexico. They refueled the airplane with 27 gallons of fuel and filled the left tank until it reached a fuel quantity of 26 gallons usable fuel. The right tank was filled to the tabs, which, according to the aircraft's flight manual, provided 15 gallons of usable fuel. During their subsequent flight to PRC, the destination airport, they leaned the mixture after they reached their cruise altitude, 8,500 ft, and the engine lost power again. The pilot enrichened the mixture and engaged the fuel boost pump, and engine power was restored approximately 20 seconds later. As the evening approached, they decided to land at GNT and spend the night. 




The following morning, the pilot/owner contacted her mechanic to discuss the engine problems they had encountered. The mechanic attributed the power loss to vapor lock as a result of the density altitude and hot temperature conditions, and suggested a higher run-up power setting and to lean the mixture for best power on the ground. They followed the mechanic's instructions by learning the mixture out on the ground and subsequently departed with the fuel selector on the left fuel tank. According to the pilot's recount, they leaned the mixture knob out on the ground for "best power," but did not adjust it during the accident flight. About 1 hour and 10 minutes into the flight at a cruise altitude of 10,500 ft, the pilot determined they had about 49 minutes of flight time remaining. She then selected the right fuel tank, "believing at this point there was now more fuel in the right tank than the left." Within a few miles of their destination airport, the pilot/owner told the pilot-rated passenger seated in the right seat, who had assumed control of the airplane for the cruise portion of the flight, that they needed to initiate a descent. The pilot/owner reviewed the descent checklist and activated the fuel boost pump, ensured the fullest (right) fuel tank was selected, the landing gear was down, and the mixture was in the full rich position. After they retarded the throttle to approximately 1,800 rpm, the engine experienced a total loss of power. They advanced the throttle and cycled the mixture control, but did not receive a response from the engine. Seconds later, they observed a burst of engine power, so the pilot gradually leaned the mixture control, but the engine did not produce any further power. She subsequently attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The pilot/owner notified the tower controller at PRC, who cleared them to land on runway 21L. They descended the airplane rapidly, but then determined they would not reach the runway due to the 30 degree turn that was required, so they proceeded to land straight ahead. The airplane impacted the ground hard at approximately 80 mph and bounced. The airplane then returned to the ground and stopped. According to the pilot-rated passenger, the main landing gear separated shortly after the airplane touched down, and the airplane skidded up the rising face of a small berm. An initial report from an airport operations representative indicated that the airplane came to rest in an area of sparse desert vegetation about 1/2 mile north of PRC. The pilot/owner subsequently reported that she did not attempt to switch fuel tanks after the loss of power. Photographs provided by an airport operations representative and the Federal Aviation Administration revealed substantial damage to the right aileron and the left wing.

A fuel performance computation was completed based on the flight plan information provided by the pilots. According to the pilot/owner's statement, they departed ONM with approximately 26 gallons of usable fuel in the left tank and 15 gallons of usable fuel in the right fuel tank, and completed a 1 hour flight to GNT at a cruise altitude of 8,500 ft with the fuel selector on the L tank. Based on these values, the engine would have consumed about 10.9 total gallons of fuel. Before they departed GNT, the pilot-rated passenger confirmed the presence of fuel in both fuel tanks. They subsequently departed GNT on a 2-hour flight with approximately 16.6 gallons of fuel in the left tank and 15 gallons of fuel in the right tank. Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes into the flight, they switched the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. Given these calculations, at the time of the loss of power, the left tank should have contained about 9.7 gallons of usable fuel, and the right tank should have contained about 7.6 gallons of usable fuel. 

According to a representative of the airport who arrived on scene about 1 minute after the fire department, both occupants stated to him that they had turned the fuel off before they exited the airplane. The representative did not detect a fuel odor at the site, nor did he observe any indication of a fuel leak during the time he was in proximity of the airplane. The airport representative did not observe any traces of fuel on the ground when the airplane was lifted on the flatbed truck during the recovery effort. A representative of the recovery team stated that 10 gallons of fuel were drained out of the left fuel tank, and the right fuel tank was void of fuel. 

A fuel system inspection and engine test run was completed by a representative of the airplane manufacturer under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. During the inspection of the fuel system, the representative did not observe any breaches of the right or left fuel tanks. The fuel strainer, located between the fuel selector valve and the engine, was equipped with a quick drain at its base that had been sheared off during the accident sequence. According to a representative of the airframe manufacturer, placing the fuel selector valve in the OFF position prevents fuel in the tanks from moving to the fuel strainer. A bolt was installed in place of the quick drain to prevent fuel from draining out during the engine test run. Both fuel gauges indicated full fuel when the fuel transmitters were moved by hand to the full position, but showed ¼ full when the fuel transmitters were placed in the empty position. The engine was subsequently test run with new fuel that was introduced from an external tank attached to the fuel system at the right wing root as both wings had been removed during recovery of the aircraft. After the right fuel tank was selected, the engine was run to 2,200 rpm. The engine functioned normally during the magneto check and engine run up as the fuel flow indicator remained within the normal range. The engine did not show any power interruptions when the throttle was advanced rapidly. An engine backfire was heard once when the throttle was rapidly reduced from 2,200 rpm to 700 rpm; however, the engine continued to run. The engine test was repeated with fuel fed from the left side and no anomalies were observed. 

During a follow-up interview, the pilot-rated passenger reported that she sumped and visually inspected the fuel tanks to verify the presence of fuel. According to her recount, she observed that the fuel quantities "were enough to take off." Although she did not normally use the fuel gauges to track the fuel quantities, the pilot/owner stated that with about 45 minutes of flight time remaining, she observed the left fuel gauge needle entering the yellow band, a slightly below half-full indication, and the right gauge needle in the yellow band, which she equated to about 9 gallons of fuel remaining in the right tank. 

According to the pilot's operating handbook (POH), the yellow band of the fuel gauges represents a fuel quantity between empty and 3/8 full, approximately 9 gallons. The POH shows a fuel consumption of 8.7 gallons per hour (gph) at a power setting of 66% and 10.2 gph at a power setting of 75%; with the fuel-air mixture leaned to produce maximum rpm, then slightly enrichened. 



NTSB Identification: WPR16LA128
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 18, 2016 in Prescott, AZ
Aircraft: BEECH C23, registration: N9246S
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 June 18, 2016, about 0815 mountain standard time, a Beechcraft C23 airplane, N9246S, was substantially damaged during a landing attempt in Prescott, Arizona following a loss of engine power. The private pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross county flight that departed Grants-Milan Municipal Airport (GNT), Grants, New Mexico at approximately 0630 mountain daylight time. The personal flight was destined for Ernest A Love Field Airport (PRC), Prescott, Arizona. 

The pilot reported that she and her friend, a pilot rated passenger, were on their way to PRC to participate in an air race. They departed GNT with the fuel selector in the left tank position and about 36 gallons of fuel onboard. After the occupants reached their cruise altitude, the pilot handed the controls over to the pilot rated passenger for the remainder of the flight, while the pilot continued to operate the radio. They made contact with the tower controller about 5 nautical miles east of the airport and reduced engine power to begin a descent. When the engine suddenly lost power, the occupants immediately cycled the throttle and mixture and activated the fuel boost pump, which produced a brief surge of engine power. They contacted the tower controller to report the engine failure and to declare an emergency. The controller cleared the airplane to land on runway 21L, but as the pilot rated passenger turned towards the runway she realized the airplane would not reach the airport. The pilot reported that they had experienced two separate power losses in the days leading up to the accident, but successfully restarted the engine during both events. 

According to the pilot rated passenger, the main landing gear separated shortly after the airplane touched down. The airplane then skidded up the rising face of a small berm. An initial report from an airport operations representative indicated that the airplane came to rest in an area of sparse vegetation about one half mile north of PRC. 

The wreckage was retained for further examination. 

Air guards practice defense of New Jersey, Trump airspace



GALLOWAY - While local, county and state law-enforcement protects President Donald Trump on the ground during his weekend visits to Bedminster, a well-organized coalition of military pilots guard the skies above him.

Tuesday, those combined defense forces scrambled from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing base at Atlantic City International Airport for a complex drill over the southern coast of New Jersey to practice first responses on aircraft that cross into restricted airspace, not only above Bedminster during the president's weekend visits to Trump National Golf Club, but throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

The "Cross Tell" exercise presented six different scenarios for pilots of U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and armed F-16 fighter jets from three regional Air National Guard units.




"We're trying to solve the inter-agency problems, bringing together the agencies, the Air National Guard, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, all the entities that are involved in making sure we defend the United States airspace," said 177th Operations Group Commander Col. Bradford R. Everman.

"We do a couple of missions, and we can all see the mission from our different perspectives," Everman said. "At the end, we debrief those missions, we take out the lessons learned and share them across all the entities involved. That way, if it becomes a real-world mission, and we actually have to execute this to truly defend the United States, we're better at it, because we've solved some of those inter-agency problems."

The exercise was opened to the media to give them a literal bird's-eye view of the engagements, seating them in single-prop Cessna 182 planes piloted by volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), who played the roles of "tracks of interest" in the dramatic sortie.

CAP provides essential and cost-effective support for the combined forces, also conducting 90 percent of all inland search and rescue missions in the continental United States.

Identical CAP Cessnas transported three reporters — one crossing into Pennsylvania — to three different engagement zones. One Gannett New Jersey reporter joined CAP Capt. Kenneth A. Korwin, left, and Maj. Lorraine Denby in the sky between Ocean City and Sea Isle City on the Jersey Shore.

Operating by script, the Cessna was cruising at about 125 knots, at an altitude of 2,500 feet, awaiting a close encounter with the Coast Guard.

"Can you see it yet?" Korwin asked.

Soon enough, an orange helicopter was spotted in the distance, approaching rapidly from behind before settling just above and behind the Cessna, which Korwin referred to as his "blind spot."

"It makes me nervous when they are that close and I can't see them," Korwin said.








A few seconds later, the helicopter dipped and advanced to a position about 500 feet off his left wing, by Korwin's estimate.

"Notice how he positions just low enough so I can see him under the wing," Korwin said.

The radio crackled with the Coast Guard announcing itself "just off your left wing. You have entered restricted airspace and you have been intercepted. Rock your wings to acknowledge."

Korwin complied, rocking the aircraft left and right while maintaining his course. Finally, after transmitting instructions where to land, the Coast Guard pilot acknowledged the end of the engagement and broke away.









The Cessna, however, remained in the same airspace for about 90 minutes, circling as it altered speed and altitude for five more engagements. Three followed a similar pattern, while Korwin was instructed to veer off in another, simulating an escape attempt. In another scenario, he did not respond, maintaining defiant radio silence and course.

Varying the direction, altitude, speed and reaction gave the helicopter pilots a variety of variables to practice reacting to, Denby explained.

"If we were heading like this to the White House, we would be shot down," Korwin posed.

Back on the ground, Scott clarified that since 9/11, NORAD has safely escorted all violators out of restricted airspace.

"I would also note that (shooting down the track of interest) is a final resort, and most times, the violating aircraft is unaware that they have flown into restricted airspace," Scott said.

The FAA posts temporary flight restriction information in affected areas to warn general-aviation pilots about the temporarily-prohibited airspace on their website at http://www.tfr.faa.gov









Following the exercise, Everman offered an upbeat assessment of the simulated missions.

"It went amazingly well," he said. "We had a chance to get everyone together. The best way to figure out how this went will happen in about three hours. We get all the players in the room. We'll share the lessons learned that came out in various parts of the exercise. We'll wrap all those up and put that in a report that we can pass along to other units."

"From the Air Force perspective, it really gives us an opportunity to see the other sides of the mission," said Maj. Andrew J. Scott. "The Air Force doesn't always get to see the Coast Guard side of the mission, and the Coast Guard doesn't get to see the Air Force side of the mission, So it's great opportunity for us to share and see the air-defense mission as a whole."






Adding to the relevance of the exercise are the temporary flight restrictions that will be imposed in Northern and Central New Jersey during the president's anticipated weekend trips to Bedminster over the next several months.

"With that happening, the FAA establishes the temporary flight restriction that will be occurring in the Bedminster New Jersey area," Scott said. "NORAD's job will be to enforce that. We can do that through a number of means, by fighter aircraft, also the Coast Guard helos."

"We're always concerned with all of the airspace that's over the sovereign U.S.," Everman said. "Sometimes it's Bedminster. Sometimes it's other places. It really depends on where the president is, and where our other areas of vulnerability are. But we always defend all of the United States airspace, from Maine to Florida, all the way out to the West Coast as well."

Story, video and photo gallery:  http://www.app.com