Monday, April 20, 2020

Zenith CH 750 Cruzer, N145WT: Accident occurred January 14, 2022 and Incident occurred April 17, 2020

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; Salt Lake City, Utah 
Viking Aircraft Engines; Edgewater, Florida


Location: Spanish Fork, Utah
Accident Number: WPR22LA080
Date and Time: January 14, 2022, 12:48 Local
Registration: N145WT
Aircraft: WALTER TACHIKI TACHIKI 750 CRUZER
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On January 14, 2022, about 1248 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Zenith 750 airplane, N145WT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Spanish Fork, Utah. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that this was his first flight in the accident airplane since he was involved in a prior mishap that took place in the same airplane about 18 months earlier. A few days prior to the accident flight he fast taxied the airplane down the runway to check the operability of the flight control system and engine controls prior to the accident flight. He noticed that during these passes the airplane would become airborne quickly at full power, so he chose not to advance the throttle to this position for takeoff.

According to the pilot, he transitioned the airplane into a climb after an uneventful ground run, but shortly into the airplane’s climbout, he observed a slow decay in engine power and was suddenly unable to maintain altitude. The pilot immediately started a left turn to return to his departure runway and advanced the throttle to full power, but was unsuccessful in restoring power to the engine. According to a witness, the airplane entered a steep left turn at approximately 80 ft above ground level that quickly transitioned into a nose down dive before it disappeared from view behind obstacles. The pilot stated that the airplane slowed during the turn and impacted the roof of a building during the subsequent forced landing.

Photographs of the accident site taken by the airport manager showed substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.

The wreckage was retained for further examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: WALTER TACHIKI 
Registration: N145WT
Model/Series: TACHIKI 750 CRUZER 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPVU, 4497 ft msl
Observation Time: 12:56 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 6 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 3°C /-3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 6000 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility: 6 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.45 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Spanish Fork, UT
Destination: Spanish Fork, UT

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 40.130918,-111.65227 




Spanish Fork Public Safety

PRESS RELEASE: Small Airplane Crash

On January 14, 2022, at 12:47 PM Police, Fire, and EMS personnel were dispatched to Mountain Country Foods located at 185 East 1600 North in Spanish Fork on a report of a small airplane that had crashed into the roof of a warehouse building.

When Police, Fire, and EMS arrived Spanish Fork Fire used a ladder truck to access the roof of the building where they located a single-engine airplane.  The airplane had a single occupant who was a 77-year-old male.  The male was extricated from the plane and transported via Life Flight to a local hospital in critical condition but does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.  

The plane caused damage to the roof of the warehouse but the cost is unknown at this time.  

The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated by the FAA and NTSB. 

The Spanish Fork Airport is within a ¼ mile of where the crash occurred.  

Several employees were in the warehouse at the time of the accident but were uninjured.


    





SPANISH FORK, Utah — Police and first responders are at the scene of an airplane crash on the roof of a Spanish Fork building that sent a man to the hospital. 

An airplane crashed around 12:45 p.m. Friday afternoon near Mountain Country Foods, which is located near 185 East and 1600 North in Spanish Fork, according to a statement from the Spanish Fork Police Department.

Police, fire crews and paramedics were sent to the scene, where they used a ladder truck to get on top of the building's roof. There, they found a single-engine airplane with a 77-year-old man inside, police said.

The man was taken out of the airplane and flown via helicopter to a local hospital. He was in critical condition, though police said they don't believe his injuries were considered to be life-threatening. Several employees were working in the building at the time of the crash, though no other injuries were reported.

Police say the crash caused damage to the roof of the building, though an estimated cost of the damage was unknown. A view from KSL-TV's Chopper 5 shows a plane broken into several pieces on the roof.

The cause of the crash was not known as of Friday, and the crash will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Spanish Fork Municipal Airport is located just northwest of the crash site.


Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

April 17, 2020:  Aircraft landed and veered off runway resulting with a propeller strike at Spanish Fork Airport (KSPK), Utah County, Utah.

Date: 17-APR-20
Time: 22:30:00Z
Regis#: N145WT
Aircraft Make: EXPERIMENTAL
Aircraft Model: 750 CRUZER
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: SPANISH FORK
State: UTAH

Low Altitude Operation/Event: Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N75765; accident occurred April 19, 2020 near Take Five Airport (WN45), Kittitas County, Washington






Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Spokane, Washington

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Yakima Aero Club Inc


Location: Yakima, Washington 
Accident Number: WPR20CA125
Date & Time: April 18, 2020, 17:30 Local 
Registration: N75765
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Low altitude operation/event 
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

The pilot reported that he chose to conduct a low approach over the private airstrip to familiarize himself with it and then go around. He approached the airstrip from the north and entered the left base leg. After turning onto final, the airplane was on a stabilized approach. About 20 ft above ground level, he applied full power, pitched the nose up, and retracted the flaps. The airplane would not gain altitude and was quickly approaching the uphill elevation of the airstrip. The airplane narrowly cleared the hill at the end of the airstrip but continued to lose altitude. The airplane impacted terrain, went over an embankment, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 pilot's failure to attain sufficient altitude during a go-around, which resulted in impact with hilly terrain.

Findings

Aircraft Altitude - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Environmental issues Mountainous/hilly terrain - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach-VFR go-around Miscellaneous/other
Maneuvering-low-alt flying Low altitude operation/event (Defining event)
Approach-VFR go-around Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: 
Age:
Airplane Rating(s): 
Seat Occupied:
Other Aircraft Rating(s):
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s):
Second Pilot Present:
Instructor Rating(s):
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: 
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N75765
Model/Series: 172N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1976
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17267934
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: March 17, 2020 Annual 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 20 Hrs
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 9625 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360 SERIES
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 180 Horsepower
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: YKM,1099 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 19:00 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 197°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 6 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 160° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 29.93 inches Hg 
Temperature/Dew Point: 22°C / 2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Chelan, WA (S10) 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Destination: Yakima, WA (YKM)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 16:59 Local 
Type of Airspace:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Minor 
Latitude, Longitude: 46.773056,-120.440551(est)




Kittitas County Sheriff
Plane crash 10 miles South of Ellensburg

Kittitas County, WA - 04/19/2020 - Sheriff Deputies and medical units responded to the area of Rosa View and Arrowhead Drive, where a small plane was said to have gone down.

Deputies found a Cessna 172N Skyhawk flown by 39-year-old Josh Soracco and occupied by 46-year-old Kristina Ring and 21-year-old Jessie Ring, all of Yakima, attempted a low approach flyover of the runway and was unable to gain enough altitude to clear the ridge. The plane clipped the hillside and flipped. All occupants self-extricated and Kristina was later transported by KVFR to Yakima Memorial with back and neck pain. All other occupants had minor injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified.