Monday, August 20, 2018

Beech N35 Bonanza, N1330Z: Accident occurred August 17, 2018 in Mayport, Florida

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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama

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

http://registry.faa.gov/N1330Z

Location: Mayport, FL
Accident Number: ERA18LA227
Date & Time: 08/17/2018, 1318 EDT
Registration: N1330Z
Aircraft: Beech 35
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On August 17, 2018, about 1318 eastern daylight time, a Beech N35, N1330Z, sustained substantial damage after it ditched in the Atlantic Ocean after a total loss of engine power three miles east of the Mayport Naval Station (NRB), Mayport, Florida. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated by the private pilot as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Rutherford County Airport (FQD), Rutherfordton, North Carolina, about 0930. The flight was destined to Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (OMN), Ormond Beach, Florida.

According to the pilot he was making a short cross-county flight at an altitude of 4,500 ft. Suddenly the engine lost all power, and the pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot contacted air traffic control and was advised that NRB was the closet airport to his current location. The pilot reported that he was unable to make it to the airport and performed a water landing. A nearby ship rescued the pilot after the water landing.

The airplane was recovered to a salvage facility and an examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both elevators were separated from the stabilizers. Further examination revealed that an undetermined amount of fuel was present in both wing fuel tanks. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Beech
Registration: N1330Z
Model/Series: 35 N35
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: NRB, 14 ft msl
Observation Time: 1752 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 3 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 25°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 4000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 12 knots / , 140°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.18 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Rutherfordton, NC (FQD)
Destination: Ormond Beach, FL (OMN)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:  30.418333, -81.367500

Bart Albert



A pilot is said to be OK after his plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean Friday about three miles off Mayport, according to the Coast Guard.

A Good Samaritan was able to pull the man, identified as Bart Albert, from the water.

Albert, who has been flying since 1970, joked with First Coast News that his landing on the water was smoother than some of his landings on land. Albert's plane, a 1961 Beech BE-35 aircraft, sunk into the ocean and there are no plans for recovery.

Albert was expected to take off around 9 a.m. but was delayed due to low clouds.

The pilot's business partner says the pilot took off Rutherford County, North Carolina around 10 a.m. and was heading home to Ormond Beach in a routine flight he says he always takes when his aircraft went down at around 11:30 a.m.

The plane went down about three miles off the coast of Mayport. The pilot told First Coast News he was initially told to land at Mayport, but didn't have the altitude to make it.

“Soon as it lost power I turned west toward the beach, declared a mayday, they sent a helicopter out, but fortunately there were some fisherman out there that hooked me first.”

“Right about the worst possible distance from the shore, the engine quit making engine noises," Albert said.

This is the first time in 50 years of flying that Albert has ever experienced engine failure, but said it wasn't scary, as his training kicked in.

"I opened the door right away so if the plane went under water I could get the door open." Albert said. "And then I climbed out onto the wing. And when it started pitching nose down I got into the water."

Albert said it was a perfect landing into the water, but he just didn't have anything to stop the plane from going down. "I've made worse landings on land," he said.

“I like boring when you’re in an airplane. Excitement is never a good thing," Albert added.

The Florida Aviation Administration says they will investigate.

Story and video ➤ https://www.firstcoastnews.com


Bart Albert




MAYPORT, Fla. - A pilot forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean near Mayport after he lost the engine on his small plane Friday morning was quickly rescued from the water by a nearby fishing charter group.

"They were out fishing. Fortunately, I was on the menu," pilot Bart Albert said, taking a good-natured view of what could have been a harrowing experience.

Albert said he left Asheville, North Carolina, on Friday morning and was headed to Ormond Beach when he lost power to the engine about 10 miles offshore.

"There were some four-letter words that I don’t want to mention," Albert said of how he reacted. "There was a normal procedure that I followed; did all the mechanical checks and realized it wasn’t going to start."

He declared a mayday and headed toward land but had to ditch the plane in the water about 3 miles out.

“I had no power. As the plane was going forward, it was losing air speed, so I did the normal procedures," said Albert, who was the only person on the six-seater plane.

He brought the 1961 Beechcraft Bonanza down as gently as he could. He said the plane sank almost immediately, and he was left treading water without a life preserver.

"I got the door open before it got underwater and I couldn’t get it open, got out on the wing, and I couldn’t grab any belongings -- they went down with the (plane)," Albert said.

But within five minutes, a fishing charter captained by Don Dingman came to the rescue, pulling Albert out of the water.

Dingman, who is married to News4Jax meteorologist Rebecca Barry, said it was ironic that his boat was in the right place at the right time, because his charter had been delayed Friday morning by several hours.

Dingman said his charter group saw the plane coming down and a Navy helicopter hovering nearby. The chopper had responded to the mayday call.

Dingman, who hosts a children's fishing show called "Hook the Future," said at first they weren't sure what was happening with the plane and thought the pilot might be a smuggler.

But when the plane disappeared below the surface in about 8 seconds, they knew the pilot was in trouble and rushed over to help.

"Thank God we got him," Dingman said after his group safely deposited Albert back on land at Morningstar Marina, where the pilot was able to fill his family in on the unexpected adventure.

"On first contact (with my wife) I told her I had to land in Mayport, so I would not be making the landing in Ormond," Albert said. "Once we got on the beach, I told her where I (landed) in the water. I did not want to panic her, you know."

A Coast Guard crew was later called out to the crash site, and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate. Boaters are being advised to steer clear of the area, in case some objects from the plane float to the surface. 

Albert said he's not sure they'll be able to salvage his plane.

Story and video ➤ https://www.news4jax.com

No comments:

Post a Comment