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; Las Vegas, Nevada
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Location: Williams, AZ
Accident Number: WPR21LA166
Date & Time: April 15, 2021, 19:30 Local
Registration: N2506N
Aircraft: Cessna 140
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On April 15, 2021, about 1930 mountain standard time, a Cessna 140, N2506N, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Williams, Arizona. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot’s social media postings, he had recently purchased the airplane. He and his passenger, who was also his spouse, departed Bermuda Dunes, California on April 12, with the planned destination of Sedona, Arizona. The exact itinerary could not be ascertained, but it is likely that on the accident flight they intended to land in Williams for the night and then land in Grand Canyon, Arizona the following day.
Recorded radar data covering the area of the accident was supplied by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and was analyzed for time frame and proximity to the anticipated flight track of the airplane en route from Sedona to Williams. The radar data consisted of approximately equidistant radar returns from about 1855 to 1934. The data was consistent with the airplane departing Sedona and traveling about eight nautical miles (nm) west before turning north (see Figure 1 below). The radar returns displayed a climb to about 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and continued on the north-northwest course for about 20 minutes. As the radar returns approach the proximity of Williams, the altitude had descended to 8,150 ft msl, equating to about 1,520 ft above ground level (agl).
As the radar returns approached the H. A. Clark Memorial Field Airport, the airplane made a right turn to the north consistent with the airplane making a 45° entry to adjoin the downwind leg for runway 18 (see Figure 2 below). The radar data was consistent with the airplane continuing on the base leg and exhibited significant altitude fluctuations within a 30 second timespan.
Between 1933:27 and 1933:37, the radar returns are consistent with the airplane transitioning from a northerly course to a west course and the speed decreasing from 82 kts to 60 kts while descending 525 ft. At 1933:51 the altitude increased 750 ft and the airspeed increased by 16 kts. At 1934:51, the last radar hit, located about 2,860 feet northeast of the accident site, showed a ground speed of 43 kts and an altitude of 570 ft agl.
The airplane impacted the ground about 1,430 ft east of the runway threshold. The left and right wings exhibited compression damage along the entirety of their leading edges (see Figure 3 below). The wing flaps visually appeared to be in an extended position. The flap control linkage and cockpit flap-position indicator sustained damaged consistent with impact, prohibiting investigators from being able to ascertain the position of the flaps at the time of impact.
Data from the United States Naval Observatory indicated that the phase of moon for the town of Williams was a waxing crescent with less than 25 percent of the moon’s disk illuminated. Sunset occurred at 1902, with civil twilight ending at 1928. The moon rise occurred at 0838 and moon set at 2333; at the time of the accident the moon was about 31° below the horizon (including refraction) on an azimuth (heading) of 343°.
The airport was located just north of the city of Williams; both were situated in a wide valley surrounded by mountainous terrain. The area surrounding the airport and the city was primarily desert with very sparse illumination. A review of the airport facility directory revealed that airport elevation was 6,630 feet msl and the runway was 100 feet wide by 6,000 feet in length. The airport operated a lighted white-green beacon that was operational from sunset to sunrise. The airport was equipped with a precision approach path indicator light system designed to provide safe obstruction clearance. Pilot-activated medium intensity runway lights illuminated runway 18, and runway end identifier lights were installed.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N2506N
Model/Series: 140
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.312778,-112.1878
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.
Timothy Michael Gill and Joylani Roseann Kamalu
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, California — It has been one month to the day as of Thursday since a pilot raised in San Diego County and his wife died in a plane crash in Arizona.
The duo was on vacation, flying to Sedona for the wife, Joylani's 40th birthday in their Cessna -140. That's a pretty light aircraft and was fairly new to them.
Today we are learning more about Tim, the private pilot who was a man of many talents.
Timothy Gill grew up in Vista. He was a private pilot and a well-known swing jazz musician who played all over Southern California.
"He's always been an old soul and very musically inclined - never had a piano lesson, guitar lesson, voice lesson, nothing like that. He was a natural," said Cindy Gill, Tim's mother.
Cindy and Mike Gill remember their son as being great at anything he was passionate about. Music was his first love.
"He was 14 years old and developed his first swing band," said Cindy.
Tim went to Roosevelt Middle school, Vista High school and graduated from Cal State Fullerton. His passion for aviation started about six or seven years ago.
"He was a planes, trains, and automobiles kind of guy at a young age and just found his passion in the sky," said Cindy.
The 37-year-old and his wife Joylani started a popular grassroots aviation YouTube channel and Instagram page called Tango and Juliet. They took viewers along their journeys to off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Their last Instagram post was on April 12.
Their last YouTube video titled "Brunch and Beer Crow-Hopping" was posted on March 20.
"They both left the Sedona airport at 7 pm on Thursday, April 15 and the last radar ping was 7:19," said Cindy.
Authorities found the wreckage on Monday, April 19, in a wooded area.
"Which was the worst phone call any parent has to receive," said Cindy.
No one has any idea what when wrong.
The NTSB is investigating, which could take 18 months to two years to complete.
Cindy said Tim and Joylani would want all their fellow aviators to continue living out their dreams in the sky.
"Continue to enjoy what they made. Please don't stop," said Cindy.
Gil leaves behind the children who live with their biological mother out of state. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the children with their educational and medical needs.
Coconino County Sheriff's Office
For Immediate Release
Subject: Overdue Aircraft Located Crashed Near Williams HA Clark Field
WILLIAMS, Arizona – On Sunday, April 18th around 6:00 PM, deputies from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Williams Sub-Station received a report of an overdue aircraft from Vista, California. A family member of one of the overdue occupants indicated that the missing parties had not reported for work as scheduled on Sunday. The occupants have been identified as Timothy Michael Gill, 37, and Joylani Roseann Kamalu, 38, of Vista, California.
The reported destination for the aircraft was the Grand Canyon Airport for a scheduled appointment in the Tusayan area at 9:00 AM, having departed from the Sedona Airport. Investigators immediately focused on attempting to search for the aircraft at the Sedona and Grand Canyon airports.
Due to the potential of the aircraft being in multiple jurisdictions, the State Search and Rescue Coordinator was notified, who in turn requested assistance from the US Air Force Civil Air Patrol to determine the last known direction and location of the aircraft. This information from the US Air Force directed search efforts to an area northeast of the Williams airport, also known as HA Clark Airfield.
Deputies requested the assistance of the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter out of Kingman.
On Monday, April 19th at 1:40 AM, DPS Air Rescue located the aircraft crashed in a wooded area in near the Williams Airport. Two occupants were confirmed deceased in the downed aircraft.
The incident is currently under investigation by the NTSB, FAA, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. No further information is available at this time.
March 19, 2021: Aircraft aborted takeoff and ground looped.
Timothy Michael Gill
Date: 19-MAR-21
Time: 19:00:00Z
Regis#: N103HD
Aircraft Make: GREGA
Aircraft Model: AIR CAMPER
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: TAKEOFF (TOF)
Operation: 91
City: FALLBROOK
State: CALIFORNIA
Tango and Juliet's plane (YouTube channel)
ReplyDeleteTango and Juliet died in a plane crash yesterday or today. On major news channels.
ReplyDeleteStrange crash. Plenty of room to put it down without stalling.
ReplyDelete