Friday, October 19, 2018

Cessna 182P Skylane, N9326G: Fatal accident occurred October 16, 2018 near Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG), Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Dr. Michael Vavrek and Dr. Judy Vavrek (Berrong)


The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration - ABQ FSDO; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Hartzell Propeller Inc.; Piqua, Ohio

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

https://registry.faa.gov/N9326G

Location: Canoncito, NM
Accident Number: CEN19FA008
Date & Time: 10/16/2018, 1622 MDT
Registration: N9326G
Aircraft: Cessna 182
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On October 16, 2018, about 1622 mountain daylight time (all times referenced as mountain daylight time), a Cessna 182P airplane, N9326G, collided with terrain during a forced landing near Canoncito, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and his pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 while on an instrument flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The personal cross-country flight departed Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), near Lake Havasu City, Arizona, about 1234 with the intended destination of Double Eagle II Airport (AEG), near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The cross-country flight originally departed from Fullerton Municipal Airport (FUL), Fullerton, California, during which the pilot made a planned fuel stop at HII before continuing toward AEG. According to recovered GPS track data, the flight from FUL to HII was about 2 hours. The manager of the fixed-base operator at HII reported that the airplane was filled with 30.9 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel before it departed on the accident flight.

According to a preliminary review of available air traffic control (ATC) data, after departing HII the airplane climbed to an assigned cruise altitude of 19,000 ft mean sea level (msl) while it continued toward Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

At 1608:25, the pilot established contact with Albuquerque Approach and reported descending through 14,600 ft msl to 10,000 ft msl. The controller issued the current weather conditions at AEG and told the pilot to fly direct to the Albuquerque Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (ABQ VOR) and to expect the visual approach to runway 14 at AEG. At 1612:19, the controller told the pilot that the airplane was on a southerly track and to turn to heading 80° magnetic to resume a direct course to the ABQ VOR.

At 16:13:35, the controller asked the pilot to verify his heading. The pilot replied, "about seventy-two right now sir, we're going back to eighty in a minute." 

At 16:13:43, the controller told the pilot to descend to maintain 9,000 ft msl. The pilot replied, "down to nine thousand, two six golf, yeah, we're just taking it real slow sir." 

At 1613:53, the controller told the pilot to advise if he was going to deviate from assigned headings. The pilot replied, "ah, you bet, thanks, we are just going around some clouds here." The controller then approved the pilot to make heading deviations to avoid clouds and to resume a direct course to the airport when able.

At 1614:16, the pilot replied, "direct to the airport after deviations for two six golf, yeah, in fact, we are just getting into some a little bit of precipitation here." The controller cleared the pilot to deviate as necessary to avoid the precipitation and to start the descent to maintain 9,000 ft msl.

At 1616:05, as the airplane was descending through 10,000 ft msl, the pilot transmitted, "two six golf has got engine problems at this point." 

At 1616:14, the controller confirmed with the pilot that he was having engine issues. The pilot replied, "yes sir, um, can't really tell what's going on here." The controller replied, "ah, might be some icing, use caution there is high terrain below you, um, I-40, ah, Interstate 40 is located off your right wing and about nine, nine to ten miles." 

At 1616:38, the pilot replied, "yeah, we've broken out, we are under the clouds now, but, ah, yeah, I'm trying to get it to run here." The controller then told the pilot to make a right turn to 120° to intercept Interstate 40. According to GPS track data, the airplane made a right turn to the east-southeast toward Interstate 40. At that point the airplane was at 9,000 ft msl, about 9.5 nautical miles (nm) west-northwest of Interstate 40, and about 16 nm west-southwest of AEG.

At 1617:33, the pilot transmitted, "and I've got my power back with the carb heat sir." At 1617:38, the controller told the pilot to maintain 8,200 ft msl because of high terrain below the airplane. 

At 1617:50, the pilot replied, "yeah, we will stay above eighty-two hundred, two six golf, thank you." 

At 1617:54, the pilot asked the controller, "can I be direct to alpha, ah, alpha echo golf right now?" The controlled asked the pilot how his engine was running. The pilot replied, "right now I've got some power." The controller told the pilot that a direct course to AEG would be away from the interstate and asked if he was okay with that. 

At 1618:14, the pilot replied, "yeah, I think we will be okay." 

At 1618:20, the controller cleared the pilot direct to AEG. At that point the airplane was descending through 8,200 ft msl on an east-southeast course and was about 14.5 nm west-southwest of AEG. According to available GPS track data, the airplane continued to the east-southeast and did not turn toward AEG.

At 1618:23, the controller told the pilot that there was an east/west road about 5.8 nm south of the airplane's current position. 

At 1618:52, the controller asked the pilot to ensure that the carburetor heat was turned on. 

At 1618:59, the pilot replied, "you bet, we do." 

At 1619:44, the controller asked if the pilot could maintain his own terrain and obstacle clearance at his current altitude. 

At 1619:48, the pilot replied, "yeah, I'm back to having my problems with the engine." At that point the airplane was descending through 7,600 ft msl on an east-southeast course.

At 1620:09, the controller asked the pilot of an air ambulance helicopter that was northeast of the airplane's position for assistance and issued a course change to intercept the airplane's position. 

At 1620:45, the controller informed the accident pilot that the airplane was about to descend below available radar coverage, told the pilot to climb, and issued the current altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury. 

At 1620:58, the accident pilot replied, "yeah, 26G, we can't climb, I don't know what's going on, I'm gonna pick a dirt road down here somewhere [unintelligible] wind." 

At 1621:05, the controller replied, "Cessna two six golf, winds at the airport are out of the east at one six knots, gusting two five knots, ah, suggest you, ah, find a flat spot out there, I don't know of any flat spots there, out there, use caution, there is a lot of ravines."

At 1621:27, the controller told the pilot that the airplane was 200-300 ft above the ground. 

At 1621:34, the pilot stated, "yeah [unintelligible] the engine just came back on." 

At 1621:37, the controller told the pilot that the interstate was about 3.5 nm directly ahead of the airplane's position. There was no response received from the pilot. According to recovered GPS track data, the airplane briefly climbed to about 550 ft above the ground before it resumed a descent on an easterly course. 

At 1622:05, the airplane entered a right turn toward the south. 

At 1622:05, the final GPS track point was recorded at 5,922 ft msl (about 300 ft above terrain) and about 671 ft from the initial point-of-impact with terrain.

The controller continued to issue radar vectors to the pilot of the air ambulance helicopter until the wreckage was discovered at 1628:22. The helicopter landed at the accident site about 1630. The helicopter pilot reported that upon landing at the accident site the cloud ceiling was about 1,800 ft above ground level (agl), the surface visibility was about 8 miles with light rain, and the outside air temperature was about 5° C. The medical crew proceeded to the wreckage and confirmed that there were no survivors. The helicopter pilot observed several pieces of mixed-ice on the ground below the leading edge of the left wing. He described the ice pieces as being rectangular, 12-18 inches long, 4-5 inches high, and 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. He did not observe any ice on the airplane during his brief walk around the main wreckage. The helicopter pilot noted that weather was quickly deteriorating and that he quickly returned to the helicopter to prepare for departure.

The accident site was in a sparsely populated area consisting of rolling desert terrain. The initial point-of-impact was where the right wingtip collided with the terrain. The right wingtip navigation lens cover was found near the initial impact. A shallow crater was located about 30 ft south of the initial impact point. The main wreckage was located about 110 ft south of the initial point-of-impact. The main wreckage consisted on the entire fuselage, both wings, empennage, engine, and propeller. The airplane came to rest on a north heading. There was no evidence of an inflight or postimpact fire. The left wing remained attached to the fuselage and the outboard half of the wing exhibited an upward bend with leading-edge damage. The left wing support strut remained attached to the wing and fuselage. The left aileron and flap remained attached to the wing. The left flap moved freely due to impact related damage. The right wing remained attached to the fuselage and the outboard half of the wing exhibited impact related damage. The right flap remained attached to the wing and was in the fully retracted position. The inboard half of the right aileron remained attached to the wing, and the remaining portion of the aileron was found along the wreckage debris field. The aft fuselage was fractured and twisted. The empennage components remained attached to the aft fuselage. Flight control cable continuity was established from each flight control surface to its respective cockpit control. The nose landing gear and right main landing gear separated from the fuselage during impact. The left main landing gear remained attached to the fuselage.

The electronic recording tachometer indicated 201.23 hours when battery power was applied to the device. The throttle was found full forward, the mixture control was extended about 2 inches, the carburetor heat control was extended about 2 inches, and the primer control was stowed and locked. The cowl flap handle was in an intermediate position. The flap handle was found at 15°; however, a measurement of the flap actuator indicated the wing flaps were fully retracted at impact. The ignition key switch was positioned on the left magneto. The altimeter's Kollsman setting indicated 29.97 inches-of-mercury. The autopilot controller was turned off. The transponder was set to altitude-encoding and the squawk code was 1525. The cabin heat control was extended about 1/2 inch. The pitot tube heat switch was ON. The alternate static source control was extended about 1/2 inch.

The fuel selector valve handle was observed between the BOTH and the LEFT position; however, a functional test determined that the selector valve was in the BOTH position at impact. Additional testing did not reveal any anomalies with the fuel selector valve. About 10 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. No fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank; however, the left fuel line from the forward tank outlet to the selector valve had fractured during impact. The left fuel line from the rear tank outlet to the fuel selector valve remained intact. The airplane came to rest with the left wing high. About 4 ounces of fuel was drained from the fuel strainer, and no contamination was observed when the fuel strainer was disassembled. About 2 ounces of fuel was drained from the supply line to the carburetor. About 4 ounces of fuel was drained from the carburetor bowl. An unmeasured amount of fuel was observed to drain from the left fuel supply line to fuel selector valve. All fuel samples were blue in color and had an odor consistent with 100 low-lead aviation fuel. No water or particulate contamination was observed in the fuel samples. The vented fuel tank caps were installed and secured on both fuel tanks. The left wing exhibited fluid streaking on the top wing surface aft of the fuel tank cap and on the lower wing surface behind the left wing strut attachment and fuel system vent. The observed fluid streaks were a light tan color, consistent with the color of the sandy soil at the accident site. There were no fluid streaks observed on the right wing.

The airplane was equipped with portable oxygen system. The oxygen bottle was observed with the regulator valve in the ON position and the tank gauge indicated between the green arc and empty. The oxygen bottle remained connected to a distribution controller which had two outputs. Both of the controller outputs had a flexible clear plastic line attached. One oxygen line still had a canular attached, the second oxygen line was torn and its canular was not located. The sound of air flow was heard when the feed line to the distribution controller was cut. The distribution controller was battery powered, and the removal and reinstallation of the batteries resulted in a brief self-test cycle.

An examination of the bracket induction air filter dirt revealed sandy dirt impacted into the filter element. The carburetor heat box was deformed during impact and the carburetor heat valve was observed between the ON and OFF positions. The carburetor heat valve shaft was found fractured. The deformed carburetor heat box and fractured heat valve shaft were retained for additional examination.

The exhaust muffler remained attached to the engine exhaust. The muffler was removed from the exhaust and examined for evidence of leaks. A visual examination of the exhaust muffler revealed no evidence of leaks. The muffler flame tube exhibited signs of erosion; however, no loose material was observed in the muffler.

The engine remained partially attached to the firewall. Engine control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to their respective engine component. The propeller remained attached to the propeller flange. All three propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub. The first propeller blade exhibited a spanwise S-shape bend, the second propeller blade was relatively straight, and the third propeller blade was bent aft. Minor erosion was observed on the leading edges of the propeller blades near the blade tips; however, there was no evidence of leading edge gouges. Internal engine and valve train continuity were confirmed as the engine crankshaft was rotated. Compression and suction were noted on all cylinders in conjunction with crankshaft rotation. Both magnetos remained attached to their respective installation points and provided spark on all posts while the crankshaft was rotated. The upper spark plugs were removed and exhibited features consistent with normal engine operation. A borescope inspection of each cylinder did not reveal any anomalies with the cylinders, pistons, valves, valve seats, or lower spark plugs. The carburetor exhibited minor impact damage to the lower bowl assembly. About 4 ounces of uncontaminated fuel was drained from the carburetor bowl. Functional testing of the carburetor accelerator pump produced a normal fuel discharge. A visual examination of the carburetor fuel inlet screen revealed no evidence of debris. A partial disassembly of the oil pump revealed oil in the housing and on the gears. There was no evidence of hard particle passage to the gears or oil pump cavity. Examination of the propeller governor gasket screen revealed no evidence of debris. The propeller governor drive turned freely by hand and discharged oil as designed. The postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation during the flight. The engine was retained for additional examination and a possible operational test run at the manufacturer.

According to FAA records, the 68-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane, single-engine sea airplane, and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on October 30, 2017, with a limitation for corrective lenses. A search of FAA records showed no previous accidents, incidents, or enforcement proceedings. A pilot logbook was not recovered during the on-scene investigation.

According to FAA records, the 67-year-old pilot-rated passenger held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land airplane rating. Her most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on July 8, 1991, with a limitation for corrective lenses. A search of FAA records showed no previous accidents, incidents, or enforcement proceedings. A pilot logbook was not recovered during the on-scene investigation.

The 1971-model-year airplane, serial number 18260866, was a high-wing monoplane of aluminum construction. The airplane was powered by a 285-horsepower, 6-cylinder, Continental O-550-F/TS reciprocating engine, serial number 284691-R. The original fuel-injection system had been replaced with a carburetor when modified by Texas Skyways Supplemental Type Certificate No. SE09131SC. The engine provided thrust through a constant speed, three-blade, Hartzell PHC-G3YF-1RF propeller, serial number HP657B. The four-seat airplane was equipped with a fixed conventional landing gear. The airplane had a maximum allowable takeoff weight of 2,950 pounds. According to maintenance documentation, the last annual inspection was completed on October 4, 2018, at 11,179 total airframe hours. The airplane had accumulated 21.23 hours since the last annual inspection. The airframe had accumulated a total service time of 11,200.23 hours when the accident occurred. The engine had accumulated 201.23 hours since being installed on August 2, 2017.

A postaccident review of available meteorological data established that day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at Double Eagle II Airport (AEG) about 12.5 miles north-northeast of the accident site. At 1618, about 4 minutes before the accident, the AEG automated surface observing system reported: wind 140° at 17 knots with 23 knot gusts, 10 miles surface visibility, light rain, an overcast ceiling at 4,700 ft agl, temperature 7°C, dew point -3°C, and an altimeter setting 30.25 inches of mercury.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N9326G
Model/Series: 182 P
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: AEG, 5837 ft msl
Observation Time: 1618 MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 7°C / -3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 17 knots / 23 knots, 140°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4700 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.25 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Lake Havasu, AZ (HII)
Destination: Albuquerque, NM (AEG) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.071111, -107.035278

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.



Dr. Michael Vavrek, age 68 and Dr. Judy Vavrek (Berrong), age 67, beloved husband and wife of forty-six years, residents of Albuquerque, passed away together on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.  They are lovingly remembered by their three children, Holly Kay Vavrek, Noelle Kay Kempton (Tyson), Starr Mikael Vavrek (Kristina) and their five grandchildren, John, Brayden, Lily, Sky, and Katerina, by Mike's brother, Jack (Elsie), and Judy's siblings, Tom (Lydia), Dave (Midge), and Carol (Lynn).

Dr. Michael Vavrek came to New Mexico with his wife Dr. Judy Vavrek over 40 years ago when he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Holloman AFB. They fell in love with Albuquerque and decided to stay in NM. Judy had retired from her passion, teaching. Michael worked with cars and airplanes. Michael had been flying since he was 16 and Judy was a pilot as well - the couple loved to travel!  They were just returning home from one of their favorite destinations, Disneyland.  We love them and we miss them.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, 11-Nov-2018, from 3-6pm at the Marriott Pyramid in Albuquerque, NM.  We will gather as friends and family to celebrate the lives of Dr. Michael and Dr. Judy Vavrek and enjoy food, music and all the fun stories together.  Dress Code: Please feel free to dress colorful as this this is a celebration of life!

Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North

5151 San Francisco Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

**We have a block of rooms setup for our event, just mention it when you reserve your room!**

Link to directly book rooms under our event.

http://www.marriott.com

In lieu of flowers please consider contributing to the following charity in honor of Dr. Michael and Dr. Judy Vavrek, who were both pilots and aviation enthusiasts:

AOPA Foundation to fund general aviation “You Can Fly”, the Air Safety Institute and Flight Training Scholarships 

https://www.aopa.org

As an additional option, please consider contributing to the following charity in honor of Dr. Judy Vavrek:

La Mesa Arts Academy to fund a wide variety of after school art programs for students at La Mesa Elementary School in ABQ, NM (where Dr. Judy Vavrek taught 3rd Grade). 

https://dm2.gofund.me


https://www.gabaldonmortuaryinc.com



ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The two people killed in Tuesday's plane crash have been identified as Michael Vavrek, 68, and Judy Vavrek, 67.

Michael was flying the plane when in crashed near Route 66 Casino.

Just after 4 p.m., Vavrek called into dispatch reporting he was trying to land at Double Eagle Airport but didn't think they'd make it.

Air Traffic Control tried to him options, but he still had trouble.

"We're under the clouds now, but yeah, I'm trying to get it to run here," Vavrek said at one point to Air Traffic Control.

Just minutes later, the Cessna plane dropped off the radar.

Dispatchers scrambled to find where the plane was but had little luck. They tried to locate the plane based on what Vavrek said before contact was lost.

"We're trying to call Double Eagle Airport now. They said he was going to try and make the airport but that he wasn't going to be able to and that he was going to try and land somewhere on I-40. We're calling Double Eagle airport right now to try and get some better information for you guys," a dispatch operator stated.

More time passed, and they still couldn't find the plane.

Eventually, another aircraft spotted the plane. It had crashed near Tojahilee.

The Cessna aircraft is in pieces, the tail split in half and the right wing broken. Both Michael and Judy Vavrek had died.

The couple's son, Starr Vavrek, tells KOAT his parents were returning home from Disneyland at the time of the crash.

Starr said his parents met over 40 years ago when Michael Vavrek joined the Air Force and was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base. They fell in love in Albuquerque where they decided to make their home.

Judy was a teacher and Michael loved working with cars and airplanes. Michael had been flying since he was 16-years-old.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.koat.com



ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Michael Vavrek, 68, and Judy Vavrek, 67, have been identified as the two people who were killed in a small plane crash west of Albuquerque. 

The single-engine Cessna 182 went down just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, approximately five miles southwest of Double Eagle II Airport. 

According to Albuquerque Fire Rescue officials, initial reports indicated that the pilot was going to attempt to land along I-40, expressing that they were not going to make it to the airport. Soon after that report, information from Double Eagle was relayed to crews that the aircraft was no longer visible on radar.

Preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration shows the pilot reported encountering icing and loss of engine power shortly before the crash.

Tom Pentecost, the chief flight instructor at Del Sol Aviation, believes the plane was at risk from the moment it took off.

"That aircraft, in my mind, in my view, had no business being up there," he said. "They were coming into Double Eagle and they were close. And what happens in your mind when you're doing that is that you say, 'Only have 15 or 20 miles to go. I can make it.'"

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.kob.com

4 comments:

  1. "That aircraft, in my mind, in my view, had no business being up there," he said. "They were coming into Double Eagle and they were close. And what happens in your mind when you're doing that is that you say, 'Only have 15 or 20 miles to go. I can make it.'" - Tom Pentecost

    Whooa, slow your roll there scooter. You don't have any idea what your talking about do you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Channel 4 (KOB) contacted us a few days back, for some insight on a recent accident. Our Chief Pilot - Tom Pentecost, did an excellent job giving his thoughts on the subject. Our thoughts and prayers to the family of the pilot and his wife." - Del Sol Aviation, LLC
    Shaking my head . . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tom, we're you there? I don't think so my friend. Don't think you are qualified to be a CP with comments like that. You don't have any idea what your talking about do you? Never make comments like that. I displays ignorance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a licensed general aviation pilot and I've read the NTSB reports. The PIC (Pilot in Command) kept the aircraft in excellent condition. It appears ice build up was the most likely cause of the accident. PIC was properly licensed and current on his medical. Did his airmanship have anything to do with the accident? The icing could have been an unavoidable sudden onset event.

    ReplyDelete