Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N172JV: Incidents occurred May 12, 2021 and April 13, 2020 at Aurora State Airport (KUAO), Marion County, Oregon

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon

May 12, 2021:  Aircraft landed and veered off runway striking a runway light. 

Naviation LLC


Date: 12-MAY-21
Time: 18:37:00Z
Regis#: N172JV
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: AURORA
State: OREGON 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon

April 13, 2020: Aircraft struck a bird on landing.

Naviation LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N172JV

Date: 13-APR-20
Time: 00:27:00Z
Regis#: N172JV
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: AURORA
State: OREGON

Arion Lightning LS-1, N81DJ: Fatal accident occurred April 09, 2020 near Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (KLRO), Charleston County, South Carolina

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. 

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

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Columbia, South Carolina
Arion Aircraft LLC; Shelbyville, Tennessee 


Location: Mount Pleasant, SC
Accident Number: ERA20LA150
Date & Time: 04/09/2020, 2100 EDT
Registration: N81DJ
Aircraft: Arion Aircraft LLC Lightning LS-1
Injuries:2 Fatal 
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On April 9, 2020, about 2100 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Arion Aircraft LLC Lightning LS-1 airplane, N81DJ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mount Pleasant Regional Airport-Faison Field (LRO) Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The pilot and the flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The student pilot, who had recently purchased the airplane, and the flight instructor departed Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina about 2015. A review of preliminary air traffic control (ATC) communications and radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that after departure from runway 36 at MYR the airplane climbed and turned left enroute to LRO, about 65 nautical miles away. After climbing to an enroute altitude of about 3,000 ft mean sea level (msl) the pilot requested flight following services from ATC. About 15 miles from LRO, the pilot requested a descent into LRO which was approved; the pilot subsequently stated that they wanted to conduct a touch-and-go landing, and that they would be returning to MYR after completing the maneuver. The controller instructed the pilot to remain on their present transponder squawk code and approved a change to the LRO common traffic advisory frequency. There was no further communication with the pilot.

The airplane entered descending left turn onto final approach to LRO runway 17; the last radar target showed the airplane at an altitude of 525 ft on final to the runway. About 8 minutes later, ATC was notified by local law enforcement that a witness had reported that they heard an aircraft engine "spool up and cut out" near the airport. The map in figure 1 shows the airplane's radar track in blue, and an inset depicting the accident site in relation to the runway and airport property.


Figure 1: Accident airplane's track represented by a blue line with altitude, heading and speed annotated. The inset shows expanded view of accident site in relation to the runway and airport property.


A line service employee at MYR reported that the day before the accident flight the pilot and flight instructor completed a flight during the day. When they arrived back at MYR, they requested a fuel top off. The employee put 6.2 gallons of aviation fuel on board, which topped off both fuel tanks. No additional flights were flown until the accident flight the following evening.

Another witness stated that on the evening of the accident, the pilot and flight instructor informed her that they would be conducting a night flight and they would return late. She reported that both pilots appeared to be in good spirits as they left the building, and that the airplane's departure from MYR appeared "normal."

An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site and reported that the airplane impacted heavily wooded flat terrain about ½-mile south of the departure end of runway 17. The airplane struck the tops of 75 ft- to 90 ft-tall trees bordering the airport perimeter; several broken tree limbs, branches, and small pieces of fiberglass and plexiglass were found near the mature trees next to the perimeter security fence. The debris path beyond that point was about 250 feet long.

The airplane was heavily fragmented during the accident sequence. Both wings were separated and were broken in multiple pieces; the main wing spar was separated from the wings in its entirety. All primary flight control surfaces were separated from their respective locations and found along the wreckage path. The fuselage was heavily fragmented. The engine separated from the firewall but remained attached to the lower engine mounts and was covered by the engine cowling.

A portion of the fixed pitch propeller remained attached to the propeller flange and engine. The spinner was crushed, and one propeller blade was fractured and separated near its root. Eighteen inches of the opposing blade remained attached to the flange and was cleanly broken. A 15-+inch-long section of propeller blade was found near the main wreckage and appeared intact outboard of the break.

Flight control continuity could not be established due to the damage to all control surfaces, wings, empennage, and cockpit. Several flight control cables were found separated, and all of the separations displayed features consistent with overload.

Continuity of the fuel system could not be confirmed. Both fuel tanks were breached, and the fuel selector valve was separated from the fuselage. The valve handle was found in the left tank position.

The airplane was recovered to a secure facility and retained for further examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Arion Aircraft LLC
Registration: N81DJ
Model/Series: Lightning LS-1
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: LRO, 12 ft msl
Observation Time: 2055 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 11°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 4400 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / 13 knots, 250°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.61 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Departure Point: Myrtle Beach, SC (MYR)
Destination: Mount Pleasant, SC (LRO)  Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 32.885000, -79.775833

MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina (WCSC) - A plane crash that turned into a search and rescue mission is seeing renewed calls for accountability.

Over two years after the incident, the widows of the two men who were in the fatal 2020 crash are filing new lawsuits against airport authorities for not maintaining the height of trees near the runway.

Among those listed in the suits are the Charleston County Airport district, the Charleston County Aviation Authority and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission.

The suits allege that on April 9, 2020, Glenn Lamb and Michael Gigliobianco were in the plane headed to the Mt. Pleasant Regional Airport, but before they could land, they hit trees near the runway, which the lawsuits allege were about 75 to 90 feet tall.

The widows, Cynthia Lamb and Mary Gigliobianco, claim in the lawsuits that the trees being as high as they were “penetrated protected airspace.”

The suits go on to claim, “Defendants had both actual and constructive notice that the erection or presence of obstacles within protected airspace posed a direct and foreseeable risk to the safety of members of the flight public.”

Following the late-night crash, the plane and its passengers went missing until just after sunrise the next day, when authorities found the wreck and identified the passengers.

Lamb and Gigliobianco say none of this would have happened if the trees were maintained and cut to a proper height.



Glenn Thomas Lamb
October 17, 1951 - April 9, 2020


Glenn Thomas Lamb, 68, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, died April 9th, 2020 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

The family that Glenn is survived by, are Cynthia Lamb his wife, Glenn's step son Jerome Johnson, his wife Missy Johnson, eldest daughter McKenzie Johnson, Katelyn Johnson, Cynthia's youngest son Gregory Johnson, Glenn's sister Gale Butler, her husband Michael Butler, Gales oldest son Jim Ford, her daughter Sandy Ford, and Step Mother Libby Lamb.

A private celebration of Glenn's life will be celebrated at Myrtle Beach Funeral Home.

https://www.myrtlebeachfuneralhome.com

After a night of searching with federal agencies, Mount Pleasant rescuers found what remained of a small plane carrying two people that went missing Thursday night.

The pilot and passenger had died by the time first responders found the wreckage Friday morning, Charleston County Aviation Authority spokesman Spencer Pryor said. 

Late Friday, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Glenn Lamb, 68, and Michael Gigliobianco, 70, both of Myrtle Beach. 

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the Arion Lightning LS-1 about 10:30 p.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

The private plane had been flying from Myrtle Beach, where its registered owner lives, to Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, according to flight records. Those records show the plane was on its final approach to the airport when it “impacted wooded terrain.”

Mount Pleasant Fire Department first responders found the wreckage in a wooded area just beyond the airport’s fence, about a quarter-mile from the runway, Bergen said.

The Coast Guard had launched a boat and helicopter to help search for the plane along the Wando River and connected creeks until calling off the search about 4 a.m., Lt. j.g. Phillip Vanderweit said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the accident.

https://www.postandcourier.com

Loss of Lift: Pipistrel Sinus LSA SRL, N711MK; accident occurred April 10, 2020 in Townsend, Blount County, Tennessee

View of motor-glider from above.





Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Nashville, Tennessee

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Townsend, TN
Accident Number: ERA20CA151
Date & Time: 04/10/2020, 1040 EDT
Registration: N711MK
Aircraft: Pipistrel SINUS
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of lift
Injuries:1 None 
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that, while en route, the motor glider began to lose altitude unexpectedly. He turned the motor glider toward an area where lift was expected, but it continued to descend. When the motor glider was about 300 ft above trees, he unfeathered the propeller and started the engine. The motor glider continued to descend due to a downdraft, and the pilot deployed the airframe parachute. Subsequently, the motor glider impacted vegetation, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the motor glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The motor glider's encounter with atmospheric lift conditions that were not sufficient to maintain flight, which necessitated a forced landing and resulted in impact with vegetation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed decision to restart the motor glider's engine.

Findings

Environmental issues Thermal lifting - Effect on equipment
Aircraft Altitude - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Tree(s) - Effect on operation
Personnel issues Delayed action - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Maneuvering-low-alt flying Loss of lift (Defining event)
Maneuvering-low-alt flying Attempted remediation/recovery
Landing Off-field or emergency landing
Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private; Sport Pilot
Age: 47, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/27/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/26/2019
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 1210 hours (Total, all aircraft), 1043 hours (Total, this make and model), 1125 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 17 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 7 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Pipistrel
Registration: N711MK
Model/Series: SINUS No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2013
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Special Light-Sport
Serial Number: 510 SN 912 LSA
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats:2 
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 09/21/2019, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1212 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1046 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT:C126 installed 
Engine Model/Series: 912 UL2
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power:80 hp 
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: 1A5, 2020 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 22 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1035 EDT
Direction from Accident Site: 159°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / Terrain-Induced
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / Moderate
Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 9°C / -3°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Atlanta, GA (RYY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Atlanta, GA (RYY)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0900 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G 

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: 35.570833, -83.585000 (est)

A Georgia pilot is unharmed after his small plane crashed in the Calderwood Area of Southwest Blount County Friday morning.

Blount County Dispatch said McGhee Tyson Airport notified 911 of a crash around 10:54 a.m. 4 miles north of the Calderwood Dam on the western edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

According to Marian O'Briant with the Blount County Sheriff's Office, only the pilot was on board. The pilot asked for assistance in securing the scene.  

Dispatch said the pilot refused an ambulance and the BCSO said there were no injuries.

The FAA said it is investigating, saying the plane was a Pipistrel Sinus LSA SRL that went down in a field 20 miles south of McGhee Tyson Airport.

The GSMNP identified the pilot as Georg Kustermann, 47, saying he deployed the plane's ballistic recovery system (BRS) north of Silers Bald and Buckeye Gap. A Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter later located him around 1 p.m., and the Tennessee Army National Guard hoisted him from the site around 2 p.m. to the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport. 

Park rangers said Kustermann later departed the airport on his own.

https://www.wbir.com

Loss of Engine Power (Partial): Cessna 402B, N98649; accident occurred April 13, 2020 at Kirksville Regional Airport (KIRK), Missouri






Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

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


Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines, Iowa

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: 


Location: Kirksville, MO
Accident Number: CEN20LA149
Date & Time: 04/13/2020, 1955 CDT
Registration: N98649
Aircraft: Cessna 402
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (partial)
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Non-scheduled 

On April 13, 2020, a Cessna 402B, N98649, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Kirksville Municipal Airport (IRK), Kirksville, Missouri. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand cargo flight.

The pilot reported that he was taking off and everything appeared normal until shortly after the airplane lifted off, and the pilot established a positive rate of climb and initiated the retraction of the landing gear. He said that as the landing gear retracted there was a substantial loss in engine power that resulted in an inability to maintain a positive rate of climb. He did not recall looking at the engine instruments and could not verify if there was a loss of power in a single engine or both engines. The pilot said he retarded the throttles and landed on the remaining runway without extending the landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the rear spar caps. He said that he did not feather the propellers. He said he "shut down all systems and exited the plane" after it came to a stop.

The pilot stated that the airplane was refueled the day of the accident; he had sumped the fuel system during his preflight inspection and found no contaminants. The fuel capacity was 163 gallons without the locker fuel tanks refueled, which were not used according to the pilot. The operator and pilot both reported that there were 163 gallons of fuel onboard the airplane. The pilot took off with the main fuel tanks selected.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector conducted an examination of the airplane with the assistance of an aircraft mechanic. Both the left and right engine propellers were found in a partially feathered state as the airplane rested on the runway and both fuel selector valves were found in the off position. The fuel selectors had positive detents at each commanded tank position.

The right and left fuel selector sump bowls were removed and samples of liquid consistent with aviation fuel was recovered. The samples from both sump bowls contained a small amount of brownish liquid consistent with water. A small amount of liquid consistent with water was also found in a fuel sample from the left auxiliary fuel tank sump. No water was found in the remainder of the fuel system.

Compression and continuity of both engines was verified by removing a spark plug from each cylinder and rotating the propeller through the compression stroke while covering the spark plug holes. Each magneto was examined and verified to produce proper spark. Throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were verified to move freely and properly. The fuel line was removed from the fuel spider and the electric fuel pump operation was verified at both the Hi and Low positions for both engines, and the fuel line was reconnected.

Engine runs were subsequently completed on both the left and right engines under the supervision of an FAA inspector using a substitute propeller. Both engines were started and ran to full power utilizing the airplane's systems and fuel from the airplane's main fuel tanks, which was the same fuel onboard the airplane at the time of the accident. Both propellers cycled normally during the preflight routine and no anomalies were noted during either engine run.

The pilot's operating handbook states "To feather the propeller blades, the propeller control levers on the control pedestal must be placed in the feather position."

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 25, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 11/25/2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:   1461 hours (Total, all aircraft), 266 hours (Total, this make and model), 1392 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 122 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 42 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N98649
Model/Series: 402 B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 402B1052
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/11/2020, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 6301 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 38 Hours
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 12056 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT: C91 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-520 SER
Registered Owner: Air Exec Inc
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: Air Exec Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Dusk
Observation Facility, Elevation: KIRK
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1955 CDT
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 8 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 270°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: 
Altimeter Setting: 29.15 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 3°C / -8°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:  No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Kirksville, MO (IRK)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: St Louis, MO (STL)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 2007 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class E

Airport Information

Airport: Kirksville Rgnl (IRK)
Runway Surface Type: Concrete
Airport Elevation: 966 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 18
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6005 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: None

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: 40.088056, -92.54444 (est)






















AIRCRAFT: 1977 Cessna 402B N98649, s/n: 402B1030, AFTT 12095.0
FAA AIRFRAME LOGS BEGIN ON APRIL 23, 2007.  

OLDER LOGS ARE AVAILABLE BUT THEY APPEAR TO BE IN FRENCH     

DATA TAG REMOVED & NOT INCLUDED WITH SALVAGE.

ENGINES:      
#1 Engine:  Continental TSIO-520-EB, s/n: 503320, TT 8,382 hours, SMOH 1,035 hours
#2 Engine Continental TSIO-520-EB, s/n: 145173-5-B, TT 11,340 hours. SMOH 1,158 hours

PROPELLERS:                                  

EQUIPMENT:   
Nav/Com  King KX 155
Nav/Com  King KX 155
Transponder-King KT 76A
ADF-King KR 87
Audio Panel King KMA 24 Bendix Radar

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  On April 14, 2020, aircraft was on takeoff and pilot reported loss of power. The pilot then landed on the departure runway with the aircraft’s gear retracted resulting in a gear up landing.                                         

DAMAGE:  Damage includes but may not be limited to:  
The left and right McCauley three blade propellers sustained damage to all blades;
Due to the propellers striking the runway, the Continental TSIO-520 series engines would require tear down inspections;
The left and right inboard main gear doors were damaged and will require replacement;
There is sheet metal belly skin damage from aft of the nose gear well to aft of the rear wing station;
There appears to be three bulkheads that were damaged;
The main spar lower cap appears abraded;
The heater exhaust and several antennas mounted to the belly of the aircraft were damaged.    
                                                   
LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT: Kirksville, MO (KIRK)

WARRANTY:  There is no warranty, express or implied for the information provided herein or the condition, usability, workability, operability or marketability of the aircraft salvage.  All times are approximate and the logbooks and aircraft should be inspected by each bidder BEFORE BIDDING.  Failure of the bidder to view the salvage or wreckage, or confirm any information provided is NOT grounds for a claim or withdrawal of bid after bid closing date.) 

HOURS estimated from logbooks or other information - not guaranteed or warranted. 
                              
REMARKS:  
DATA TAG REMOVED & NOT INCLUDED WITH SALVAGE.
FAA AIRFRAME LOGS BEGIN ON APRIL 23, 2007.  OLDER LOGS ARE AVAILABLE BUT THEY APPEAR TO BE IN FRENCH.
Insurer reserves the right to reject any and all bids. 
Salvage is as is/where is. 
The posting information is the best to our knowledge. 
An inspection of the salvage is highly recommended. 
LOGS ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO BE ACCURATE OR COMPLETE.

Cessna A185E Skywagon, N185RN: Accident occurred April 11, 2020 near D&C Fire Lake Flying Club Seaplane Base (D72), Eagle River, Alaska

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. 

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

Additional Participating Entity:  
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska 


Location: Eagle River, AK
Accident Number: ANC20LA043
Date & Time: 04/11/2020, 2025 AKD
Registration: N185RN
Aircraft: Cessna A185
Injuries: 2 Serious, 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On April 11, 2020, about 2025 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski-equipped Cessna A185E, N185RN, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near D&C Fire Lake Flying Club Seaplane Base (D72), Eagle River, Alaska. Of the four occupants onboard, the pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and two passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

A family member of the airplane's occupants reported that, at the time of the accident, the pilot was preparing to land on the frozen, snow-covered surface of Fire Lake, where the family residence is located. He added that the passenger seated in the right front seat was a certificated private pilot, and that two other family members were seated in the two aft seats.

The pilot rated passenger seated in the front right seat reported that the flight between the family's cabin and Fire Lake was uneventful, and that the pilot began the initial descent to Fire Lake after passing the Birchwood Airport (BCV), which is about 5 miles north of Fire Lake. He said that the pilot's intentions were to over fly the lake to inspect the landing area, followed by a left base turn, and a landing on the frozen lake to the north. He added that as they flew over the north side of the lake, on a southerly heading, the pilot began to maneuver the airplane for the approach to land and the engine suddenly lost power, but the propeller continued to windmill. The pilot continued to fly the approach and set up to make an emergency landing, and as he navigated the airplane to the left, he said, in part: "We are going down" which was immediately followed by the sound of the stall warning horn. The airplane subsequently struck a stand of trees and a powerline, and then pitched down violently and struck the ground in a nosed down attitude.

A witness on the ground reported that he observed the airplane fly over the northeast corner of the lake, and head south, at an altitude of about 600 ft. As the airplane passed overhead, he noted that the flaps were initially in the retracted position. He heard the power suddenly change from a mid-range cruise setting to an abrupt loss in power. He added that the propeller continued to windmill following the loss of engine power, and that once the airplane was about midway over the lake it banked to the southwest. He then recalled that the flaps had been extended and the airplane appeared to be in a forward sideslip momentarily. After briefly losing sight of the airplane, he witnessed it heading east toward the direction of the lake. A few seconds later he heard an airplane impact the trees and the ground.

The airplane came to rest in a residential yard in a near vertical position after impacting multiple trees and a powerline.

On April 12, the airplane wreckage was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure site, and a detailed examination is pending.

The accident airplane was equipped with a Garmin GPSmap 495 portable global positioning system (GPS), a J.P. Instruments (JPI) Fuel Scan, model 450, and an Electronics International US-8A engine analyzer, and all items were recovered and subsequently sent to the NTSB's Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC, for download. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N185RN
Model/Series: A185 E
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: PANC
Observation Time: 1953 AKD
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point: 3°C / -8°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 50°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 7000 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Departure Point:
Destination: Eagle River, AK (D72)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious, 2 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious, 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 61.351944, -149.548889 (est)



The Matanuska Electric Association reported a plane crash Saturday evening in north Eagle River.

According to the utility company's Facebook page, the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. in the Fire Lake area. There were four people on board, a couple and their two adult children, according to National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Clint Johnson.  There is no information on their current condition.

The crash caused damage to power lines and knocked out power for 85 customers. MEA said it restored power around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. 

The National Transportation Safety Board was unable to send investigators to the crash site due to concerns over COVID-19, according to Johnson. He says the final decision on whether to send a team will be made by his supervisors in Washington, D.C.

Johnson says the National Transportation Safety Board is working with the Anchorage fire and police departments to investigate the crash. No other details are available at this time.

https://www.ktva.com




Four people were injured when a plane crashed during landing near Fire Lake in Eagle River on Saturday evening, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Cessna A185E Skywagon crashed shortly after 8 p.m., said  National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Clint Johnson. The four people on board had a range of injuries, from minor to serious, he said. They were all brought to the hospital, but investigators had not yet talked with them by Sunday afternoon.

The plane crashed into electrical wires at some point, Johnson said. Power was out for several hours in roughly 85 nearby homes, according to the Matanuska Electric Association.

The mangled plane came to rest in the lawn of a home on the west side of the lake near the Glenn Highway.

 National Transportation Safety Board investigators are not on scene due to COVID-19 concerns, Johnson said. The wreckage from the plane will instead be moved to a safe storage location and investigators will examine it at a later date. Johnson said investigators are working from home currently because of the pandemic.

“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s really, really hard not to be able to show up at the scene.”

Johnson said investigators were relying on help from the Anchorage Police Department and Anchorage Fire Department at the scene. Crews were working to clear the wreckage Sunday afternoon.

https://www.adn.com