Saturday, March 02, 2019

Cessna 182S Skylane, N26617: Fatal accident occurred March 01, 2019 near Triangle North Executive Airport (KLHZ), Louisburg, Franklin County, North Carolina

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

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

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

https://registry.faa.gov/N26617

Location: Louisburg, NC
Accident Number: ERA19FA113
Date & Time: 03/01/2019, 1921 EST
Registration: N26617
Aircraft: Cessna 182
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On March 1, 2019, at 1921 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182S, N26617, was destroyed when it collided with terrain after takeoff from Triangle North Executive Airport (LHZ), Louisburg, North Carolina. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the personal flight which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

Preliminary information obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a commercial vendor revealed that the pilot obtained a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan through commercial on-line sites and obtained his IFR clearance by telephone prior to departure.

The clearance provided to the pilot instructed him to establish a heading of 180° and climb to 3,000 ft msl after takeoff from runway 23, which was at 367 ft elevation. Subsequently, a target identified as the accident airplane was first acquired at 19:20:03 over the runway at 425 ft msl at 91 knots groundspeed. The airplane maintained an approximate runway heading until 19:20:56, when at 1,225 ft and 99 knots, the airplane entered a right turn . At 19:21:03, the airplane reached the top of its climb in the turn at 1,300 ft and 100 knots groundspeed. From that point, the airplane entered a descending right turn and accelerated to 145 knots groundspeed before the target was lost at an altitude of 625 ft at 19:21:17.

Interpolation of preliminary radar data near the bottom of the descent revealed an approximate descent rate of 6,000 ft per minute. Communication between the airplane and air traffic control was never established.

Two airport employees who witnessed the takeoff had passed through the security gate onto the ramp in separate cars at 1912 to park one car in a hangar and depart the airport in the second car. While there, their attention was drawn to the sound of the airplane.

The airplane's engine was heard to "power up" which surprised the two, because they had not noticed the airplane taxi past them, or heard it perform an engine run-up. The airplane's lights were not clearly visible, as they were obscured by fog and had a "halo" appearance. One witness described the weather conditions as "foggy in moderate rain," the other said, "low clouds and a lot of rain. Made you wonder: who would want to fly in this?"

The airplane accelerated, and the sound of the engine was smooth and continuous throughout the takeoff roll and the takeoff. The airplane disappeared behind a hangar about the same time it entered the clouds, approximately 200-300 ft above the runway.

Several witnesses who lived near the airport provided written statements. They said they heard the airplane as it "just took off," "low overhead" and that the engine accelerated like it "went in full throttle" when the sounds of impact were heard. One witness said the rainfall was so hard at the time of the accident that it disabled his satellite television signal.

In a telephone interview, one of the witnesses, a local fire chief, said he was outside his home near the accident site when his attention was drawn to the sound of the airplane, and he "was surprised the airplane was taking off in this weather." The engine sound was smooth and continuous, at high power, when the engine accelerated further, "…like [the airplane] was either trying to climb, or in a dive," and then the sound of impact was heard.

The airplane came to rest partially submerged on the southwest side of a creek about 1.5 miles beyond the departure end of runway 23. Several pieces of angularly cut wood were found below damaged treetops on the northeast bank of the creek.

The wreckage was destroyed by impact and displayed no evidence of pre- or post-impact fire. All major components were accounted for at the scene with the exception of the majority of the right-wing structure, which included the right flap and flap actuator. Engine control continuity was established from the instrument panel to the engine. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed due to multiple cable breaks and fractures. All breaks and fractures exhibited signatures consistent with overload failure.

The engine was separated from its mounts, but still attached by wires and cables. Two of the three propeller blades were recovered and exhibited similar twisting, bending, and chordwise scratching. One blade exhibited significant leading-edge gouging.

The engine crankshaft was rotated by hand at the propeller flange and powertrain continuity was confirmed through the accessory section. Valvetrain continuity could not be confirmed due to impact-damaged pushrods. Internal borescope examination revealed signatures consistent with normal wear and lubrication. Both magnetos were intact in their mounts. When removed and tested, they each produced spark at all terminal leads.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His FAA third class medical certificate was issued February 20, 2018, and he reported 1,270 total hours of flight experience on that date. On August 28, 2018, the pilot declared 1,422 total hours of flight experience an insurance application form.

According to FAA records, the airplane was owned by the pilot and manufactured in 1998. Its most recent annual inspection was completed November 12, 2018 at 3,757 total aircraft hours.

At 1920, the weather recorded at LHZ included scattered clouds at 300 ft, a broken ceiling at 600 ft, an overcast ceiling at 1,100 ft and winds from 020°at 4 knots. Visibility was 5 statute miles in rain. The temperature was 4°C, and the dew point was 4°C. The altimeter setting was 29.94 inches of mercury.

An NTSB Senior Meteorologist performed a preliminary review of the weather conditions surrounding the accident site and the weather products provided to the pilot. At 1819, the pilot obtained an on-line weather briefing from the commercial vendor that included terminal area forecasts for low instrument flight rules conditions, AIRMETS for low-level wind shear, and a pilot report for severe turbulence along the airplane's proposed route of flight. According to the vendor, the pilot did not view "…any weather imagery prior to the flight."

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N26617
Model/Series: 182 S
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: LHZ, 369 ft msl
Observation Time: 0020 UTC
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point: 4°C / 4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 300 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots / , 20°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 600 ft agl
Visibility:  5 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.08 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Louisburg, NC (LHZ)
Destination: Hilton Head, NC (HXD)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 36.001944, -78.354722 (est)

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.


Brian Sjostedt


Allison Forsythe


Allison Forsythe and had been best friends with Jessica Kenny since kindergarten, her mother said.



BUNN, North Carolina — Allison Forsythe was only three months from earning her master's degree in counselor education at East Carolina University, but it was spring break, and she needed to get away.

So, her mother, Lori Forsythe, drove her to the Triangle North Executive Airport near Louisburg on Friday night so Allison, 26, could fly to Hilton Head, S.C., with her best friend, Jessica Kenny, and Kenny's boyfriend, Brian Sjostedt.

The trip would be Allison Forsythe's first time on an airplane.

Lori Forsythe recalled meeting Sjostedt, a longtime pilot, that night.

"You better take care of my baby," she told him.

"You don't have anything to worry about," he replied.

The single-engine Cessna C182 was in the air for less than 20 seconds before it crashed at Clifton Pond Road near McWilder Road at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman.

The plane wound up submerged in a pond, with debris scattered about. Authorities weren't able to recover the wreckage until Saturday afternoon.

Authorities said they do not believe a distress signal was sent before the crash. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said it could be a year before they determine the cause of the crash, although they will release a preliminary report in the next week to 10 days.

Lori Forsythe said the last text she received from her daughter was at 7:07 p.m. Friday. "Going now," it said, to which her mother responded with "love you" and a heart emoji.

By 9:45 p.m., Lori Forsythe said, she hadn't heard anything, so she texted, "U there yet?"

That was followed by "Hey" and "I'm worried about u. Please call."

There was no response to any of her messages.

When she saw on the late news that a Cessna bound for Hilton Head crashed in Franklin County, "I lost it," she said.

She and her husband drove to the crash site, praying. "I knew it was Allison," she said.

John Kenny, Jessica's father, said a family friend alerted him of the accident. When he drove to the scene, emergency responders confirmed his worst fear.

“He said we’ve recovered one body, and it’s your daughter, and I just obviously went to pieces," Kenny said Sunday.

"We sat there and hugged and cried and did all that kind of stuff and, you know, just waited to hear what we could hear," he said.

Jessica Kenny was his only daughter, he said, and had dated Sjostedt for nearly a year.

Sjostedt was an officer with the Raleigh Police Department from 1998 to 2005. The retired Marine also had served as an investigator with the Wake County District Attorney's Office and owned his own business, Vetted International, to provide emergency response services to clients around the world.

"He was an incredible pilot – very talented, very careful. very cautious and very calculated," Zack Medford, a friend of Sjostedt, said Monday. "It was a rough day to be flying. Brian had the best judgment of anyone I ever met. I trusted him with my life time and again."

Sjostedt regularly flew friends across the country, Medford said.

"He was just one of the nicest guys I'd ever met. He'd give you the shirt off his back," he said. "It was a freak accident. It just breaks my heart."

For Lori Forsythe, she's comforted by the word that appears beneath her text to her daughter of "love you" and the heart – "Delivered."


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



BUNN, North Carolina — Three people were on board a small plane that crashed into a Franklin County pond Friday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to the crash at Clifton Pond Road near McWilder Road just before 7:30 p.m., after a neighbor heard an explosion and called 911.

The plane was submerged in water, and parts scattered around the area following the crash, authorities said.

Authorities on Saturday afternoon confirmed one man and two women on board had been killed in the crash.

An FAA spokesperson previously said the pilot was the only person on board the Cessna 182S Skylane that took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading toward Hilton Head, S.C.

Tyrese Robertson, who lives near the crash site, said it is not uncommon to hear planes overhead, so locals know when something doesn't sound right.

"We see them and hear them a lot," Robertson said.

Robertson said his father heard something go wrong Friday night.

"Like a plane having trouble staying in the sky, but he thought it was trying to land. Then, after a while, he heard a boom, boom, like an explosion, like it crashed and he did not hear anything else," Robertson said.

Authorities said they do not believe a distress signal was sent from the single-engine plane before the crash.

Authorities said one of the biggest challengers for investigators following the crash was being able to access the site. With all the rain, the area was particularly swampy, making it difficult to pull the plane from the water.

The plane was eventually removed Saturday afternoon.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will work to determine the cause of the crash.

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



The downed aircraft was recovered from the Red River around 11:20 p.m. Saturday night after an all-day recovery effort by numerous crews and first responders. The pilot and passenger were also recovered at the scene.

Caddo Parish Coroner Dr. Todd Thoma has also released the names of the pilot and passenger in a news release Sunday morning. It reads:

"Two Shreveport men killed when their private plane crashed in the Red River the morning of Thursday, February 28, 2019, have been named by the Caddo Parish Coroner's office.

Richard C. Lennard, 61, piloted the aircraft recovered late Saturday, March 2, 2019. The passenger, 56-year-old Michael S. Hollis, also was recovered from the wreckage and was identified by Caddo Parish Coroner Dr. Todd G. Thoma.

Both decedents were taken to Ochsner LSU Health hospital for autopsies."

Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington and the Bossier Sheriff's Office extends their sincere condolences to the families during this time.

























Recovery Effort of Downed Aircraft in the Red River 

Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office

As of 5 p.m. this Saturday afternoon, specialized divers continue to place straps around the downed aircraft in the Red River. The process is tedious and is being done in a safe and efficient manner. Two divers have now been in the water two times each as they strap the aircraft.

Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington and the Bossier Sheriff's Office; Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator and the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office; Capt. Cordell Williams, Commander of Louisiana State Police Troop G; Caddo Parish Coroner Todd Thoma; La. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Caddo Parish and Shreveport Fire; FAA; NTSB; and other officials are working to support these divers from Cross Diving Services in Morgan City, La., as they work to lift this aircraft out of the water.

Blount Brothers Construction Company out of Shreveport is operating the large barge and crane that will be used to lift the aircraft out of the water once the dive crew secures the straps onto the aircraft.


Family members and loved ones have been patiently waiting on the river bank all day, and crews have been tirelessly working to bring them answers soonest.







SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - Recovery crews removed a portion of a downed plane from the Red River Saturday evening. The aircraft went down Thursday killing two people. 

The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office released a photo of the debris. Crews have been in the chilly and murky water of the river since Saturday morning in an effort to remove the wreckage. Several dives have been made to attach straps to the plane to secure it before it is removed from the riverbed.

KTBS 3 News spoke with Lt. Bill Davis of the Bossier Sheriff's Office. We asked specifically about the process. He says the team of divers is taking its time and working very methodically out of an abundance of caution. When asked how long the operation could last, authorities said the recovery could stretch into Sunday. It is unclear where the wreckage will be taken once recovered from the river.

Parish and state leaders are getting continuous updates. Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington joined Caddo Sheriff Steve Prater; Captain Cordell Williams, Commander Louisiana State Police Troop G; and other leaders on the recovery barge for a briefing. 

Meanwhile, family and friends of the two men killed in the crash remain at the site.

The mission began about 7 a.m. when a Blount Brothers Construction barge and tug boats left the Stoner Boat Launch in Shreveport. The 110-foot barge is loaded with an excavator to help with recovery. Some of the heavy equipment is from Morgan City, La.

The trip up river to the location where officials believe the plane went down took about three hours.

BSO says it was able to use sonar technology to detect what they believe is a submerged plane in the river just north of the Shreveport Downtown Airport and about half a mile south of I-220.

The FAA confirms two people died in the crash, but no names have been officially released. The tower lost contact with the single engine aircraft shortly after takeoff. Officials say the pilot reported that he was having some kind of trouble.

Friends of the men on board say they were Ricky Lennard and Scott Hollis.

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




BUNN, North Carolina — Three people were on board a small plane that crashed into a Franklin County pond Friday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to the crash at Clifton Pond Road near McWilder Road just before 7:30 p.m., after a neighbor heard an explosion and called 911.

The plane was submerged in water, and parts scattered around the area following the crash, authorities said.

An FAA spokesperson previously said the pilot was the only person on board the Cessna C182 plane that took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading toward Hilton Head, S.C.

Dive crews were searching for the pilot late Friday night, but authorities said the weather was impeding their efforts.

Authorities said the plane will not be removed from the water until Saturday, when the FAA arrives at the scene to investigate.

Authorities said they do not believe a distress signal was sent from the single-engine plane before the crash.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will work to determine the cause of the crash.

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




Three people were aboard a single-engine plane that crashed into a pond shortly after taking off in Franklin County on Friday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

A Cessna C182 crashed into Clifton Pond south of Louisburg at about 7:20 p.m., according to the FAA. The plane took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading to Hilton Head, S.C., when it crashed less than two miles south of the airport.

Emergency crews told a reporter for ABC11 WTVD, the News & Observer’s media partner, that the crash site likely is “a recovery effort.”

A report by WRAL said the plane was in water with scattered debris nearby, authorities said. It will remain there until FAA investigators arrive Saturday, the report said.

Phone calls to the airport were not returned Friday night. Sheriff Kent Winstead did not immediately respond to a phone call from The News & Observer.

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






LOUISBURG, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a plane crash that happened Friday night in Franklin County. 

According to the FAA, the plane took off from the Triangle North Executive Airport, heading towards Hilton Head, S.C., and crashed about 7:20 p.m. into Clifton Pond, near Louisburg. 

The Highway Patrol said the investigation had been turned over to the FAA. 

The FAA released the following statement: 

A Cessna C182 aircraft crashed into Clifton Pond, one mile south of Louisburg, N.C., about 7:20 p.m. today. The aircraft took off from Triangle North Executive Airport and was heading to Hilton Head, S.C. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will determine the probable cause for the accident. 

ABC11 also learned that the plane that went down was registered to a Raleigh company. 

Emergency crews told ABC11 that this appears to be "a recovery effort." 

Franklin County first responders searched through extremely muddy conditions and told ABC11 they will not take the plane out of the water until Saturday morning. 

Story and video ➤ https://abc11.com

7 comments:

  1. Another highly experienced pilot, nasty weather, everyone should think twice before jumping in an airplane with these highly experienced pilots, would have been kinder to just shoot them instead of going through that 20 seconds, another successful highly experienced pilot, something went wrong, yeah, he was incompetent,

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  2. Lets hope this guy was instrument rated at least. Still doesn't rule out LOC during climb-out due to spatial disorientation in IMC. Also could have been an engine failure at worst possible time just after rotation and at night, in IMC. You're pretty much screwed in that case. Doubtful the plane was overloaded with only 3 pax unless they brought tons of baggage. This Cessna had a 300hp engine. RIP to all that lost their lives that night.

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  3. How did the plane crash in the Red River in LA get tied into the crash in NC? The crash just after takeoff sounds to me like weather may have been a factor. I don't care if you are instrument rated, sometimes it's better to wait until the weather improves.

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  4. FAA Registry shows the pilot did have an instrument rating.

    What were the metars at the time?

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  5. Found my answer. Light rain, vis between 2 and 5 sm, ovc at 060. Not ideal conditions to be taking off in, at night nonetheless.

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  6. Low time pilot, inexperienced, big ego, bad weather, “can do“-attitude...?

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  7. "at 1819, the pilot obtained an on-line weather briefing from the commercial vendor that included terminal area forecasts for low instrument flight rules conditions, AIRMETS for low-level wind shear, and a pilot report for severe turbulence along the airplane's proposed route of flight. According to the vendor, the pilot did not view "…any weather imagery prior to the flight."

    A night flight with low clouds, AIRMETS, and a PIREP of SEVERE turbulence en route didn't dissuade this guy. Such a shame those two trusted him.

    ReplyDelete