Accidents: Preliminary Reports
Hawker Hits Trees on a Dark Night Approach
British Aerospace BAe 125-800B, June 5, 2016, Neryungri Airport, Russia—The twinjet was landing at Neryungri Airport (NER) in Russia with five passengers and three crew when it hit trees five miles from the airport during the nighttime approach. Visibility was good (more than 10 km), with wind from the north at four knots. There was a broken layer of cloud at 900 feet agl and an overcast layer at 1,500 feet agl. Thunderstorms were in the area.
The pilots were able to continue the approach to a successful landing on Runway 08; however, post-flight inspection by the crew revealed damage to the wing leading edges and winglets, dents on the number-two engine cowling, and more dents in the flaps and on the right-hand horizontal stabilizer. The damage was rated as substantial.
King Air Lands in Puerto Rico with Wheels Up
Beechcraft Super King Air 200, July 15, 2016, San Juan, Puerto Rico—A Beechcraft Super King Air 200 was substantially damaged after apparently landing without the landing gear extended at Puerto Rico’s San Juan-Fernando Luis Ribas Doninicci Airport (SIG). The aircraft arrived from La Romana-Casa de Campo International Airport (LRM) in the Dominican Republic after a short flight. No one was injured in the accident, but both propellers were bent severely by impact with the ground while the engines were turning, and there was damage to the fuselage underside and landing-gear doors.
King Air Pilot Recovers from Spin; Missing Parts Found inField
Beechcraft King Air A90, July 23, 2016, Byron, Calif.—The aircraft, operated by Bay Area Skydiving, was substantially damaged after the pilot lost control while climbing out on a skydiving run near Byron Airport (C83) in Byron, Calif. The pilot recovered from a spin at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet msl, after which all 14 skydivers on board bailed out. The weather was clear with light chop. The pilot flew the airplane back to the airport, but noticed that it was not handling “normally.” He managed to land without incident. A witness at the airport saw the aircraft land while missing the right stabilizer and elevator. The parts were recovered in a field a mile south of the airport.
TVA Helicopter Destroyed on Landing
Bell 407, July 11, 2016, Hickory, Ky.—A Bell 407 was destroyed and the pilot killed after dropping from an estimated 100 feet agl and hitting the ground hard on the approach to landing at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Mayfield customer service center in Hickory, Ky. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the TVA as a Part 91 business flight. It was mid-morning on a clear day and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot took off just 30 minutes before the accident and flew the helicopter to Clarksville, Tenn. (CKV), refueled, and then flew to the TVA customer service center to pick up a maintenance lineman. The crew’s assignment for the day was inspecting power lines and equipment.
A TVA lineman witnessed the accident. He told the NTSB that there was a light wind from the south/southeast and the helicopter appeared to be making its final approach from the north. He saw no abnormalities in sound or position until the helicopter was 75 to 100 feet agl. He then saw the main rotor abruptly tilt to the right. The helicopter then immediately banked to its right and fell to the ground. He said he never lost sight of the helicopter, and saw it hit the ground hard, with no sliding or bouncing. He saw the rotor blades break apart. He then ran into the building to get help. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, about 220 feet west of the intended landing area in a level, open, gravel-covered storage area for power transmission equipment. All four main rotor blades separated from the main rotor hub during the crash. The tail boom severed from the fuselage, and the tail rotor hub and blades remained attached to the tail boom. The engine continued to run after the accident, and was subsequently shut down by responding personnel.
The 58-year-old pilot had 18,430 total hours of flying experience, according to his second-class medical certificate application. He held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, instrument airplane and instrument helicopter ratings.
The helicopter’s fuel system held about 695 pounds of fuel and was not damaged in the accident. All of the essential structural components of the helicopter were found and catalogued at the accident site. A Fadec unit that contained non-volatile memory (NVM) in an electronic control unit controlled the engine and captured the accident sequence. Aircraft maintenance and personnel records were provided to the investigation team and the wreckage is being examined.
Hoist System Operator Falls from Helicopter Skid
Bell 429, July 11, 2016, Georgetown, Del.—The Bell 429 crew was performing emergency response team recurrent rescue hoist training at 6:50 p.m. in day VMC when a hoist system operator in his safety restraint harness fell to his death from the skid of the helicopter. The commercial pilot and two other crewmembers were not injured, and the helicopter, operated by the Delaware State Police, was not damaged.
The crew had been practicing lowering a rescue specialist, via hoist, from the helicopter, and then landing to retrieve the specialist. Each crewmember was rotating among the positions of hoist system operator, rescue specialist and safety officer. On the seventh round of practice, after all restraints were checked and verified secure, the helicopter lifted off and moved to the practice area. The system operator requested permission to step out onto the skid, which was approved. Once he was on the skid he fell. The pilot landed immediately and patient rescue procedures ensued, but were unsuccessful.
The NTSB is examining the hook and restraint system.
Runway Overrun Puts Caravan in Ditch
Cessna 208B, July 21, 2016, Baldwin, Wis.—The aircraft, registered to Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing of Carson City, Nev., and configured for skydiving, sustained substantial damage when it ran off the end of the grass Runway 18 at Baldwin Airport (WI14), Baldwin, Wis. The commercial pilot and 14 passengers were not injured. The flight was being operated under Part 91 by Skydive Twin Cities, of Baldwin, Wis.
The accident happened after the pilot carried the fourth load of skydivers aloft. Rain showers were developing in the area, and after a discussion between an experienced skydiver and the pilot, they decided to try one more jump. Clouds were over the intended drop zone but there was no rain and the clouds were moving away. Fourteen parachutists were loaded into the aircraft and the Caravan took off. Climbing through 3,000 feet msl, the pilot checked in with ATC, which advised the pilot that light to moderate precipitation was in the area. The pilot continued to climb toward the drop zone, but then decided to return to Baldwin to land because of the weather.
After descending, the pilot set up a base leg to Runway 18, and then turned on a two-mile final. The approach was flatter than the standard descent with an empty airplane, according to the pilot. The pilot used flaps incrementally to the full 30 degrees, flared over the threshold and touched down at 65 knots. Using full reverse prop pitch and retracting the flaps during the landing rollout was not enough to bring the airplane to a halt on the 1,950-foot-long grass runway, which was now wet from the light rain shower that had passed while the aircraft was airborne. The braking action was nil, and the high temperature, humidity and full load of parachutists created momentum the pilot was not expecting. Seeing the trees at the end of the runway coming up quickly, the pilot decided against going around. He told investigators he held full aft on the control yoke for aerodynamic braking, stayed in full propeller reverse, and braked as much as possible without locking the wheels up. Just before coming to a complete stop, while moving at about 5 to 10 mph, the airplane rolled into a ditch beside a road beyond the departure end of the runway. The propeller struck the dirt, as did the tail, causing substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot secured the engine and all of the occupants exited the airplane.
Downwind Touchdown on Contaminated Runway Lands Phenom in Creek
Embraer Phenom 300, July 26, 2016, Houston, Texas—An Embraer Phenom 300 overran 8,000-foot-long Runway 35 at Houston-Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) in Texas. The two pilots sustained minor injuries; the sole passenger was not injured. The airplane was registered to FlexJet and operated by Flight Options under Part 135 as a corporate/executive flight. VMC was reported at the airport; however, IMC prevailed in the local area. The flight was operated on an IFR flight plan originating from Scottsdale Airport (SDL), in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The pilot-in-command flew an ILS approach to Runway 35 and then transitioned to a visual approach. The approach and landing were normal; however, after touchdown the brakes seemed ineffective, according to the pilot flying. He activated the emergency brake and the airplane started to slide. The airplane ultimately departed the end of the runway and encountered a small creek before coming to rest. An AWOS report three minutes before the accident clocked the wind at 130 degrees at eight knots; however, just eight minutes after the accident the wind was from 180 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 19 knots.
The airplane sustained substantial damage.
Beech 99 Loses Portion of Vertical Stabilizer after Striking Object inFlight
Beech C99, Aug. 1, 2016, Spanish Fork, Utah—A Beech C99 registered to Ameriflight was on a Part 135 cargo flight near Spanish Fork, Utah, when it collided with an unknown object at an altitude of 8,500 ft. The flight was en route from Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC), Price, Utah, destined for Salt Lake City, Utah. The pilot was in a cruise climb when he noticed something pass the airplane in his peripheral vision, then felt a “thud.” There was no loss of control or abnormal control feel, so the pilot continued the flight to a normal landing in Salt Lake City. On a ground walkaround after the flight the pilot saw that 12 inches of the vertical stabilizer was missing and there was substantial damage to the rudder.
Initial examination of the area of the stabilizer damage showed no evidence of organic material that a bird strike would leave. The separated portion of the stabilizer has yet to be located. Detailed examination of the damaged area by the NTSB Materials Laboratory is pending.
Turbine Beaver and Cessna 210 Collide near Runway
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk III, Aug. 5, 2016, Wasilla, Alaska—A Cessna 210 piloted by a student pilot and flight instructor and a turbine conversion de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk III with Fly Denali markings (a climber support company) collided in flight near the runway at Wasilla Municipal Airport (PAWS) near Wasilla, Alaska, with both aircraft settling to and then sliding along the 3,700-foot-long asphalt runway. No injuries were reported.
It was 1:30 p.m. and VMC was reported at the non-tower airport. Witnesses stated that the Cessna settled onto the top of the Beaver at the far end of the runway and then slid 600 or 700 feet. Witnesses said one aircraft was flying the standard right traffic pattern for the runway, while the other was flying a left traffic pattern.
Factual
No Mechanical Malfunctions Found in MU-2 Fatal
Mitsubishi MU-2, Mar. 29, 2016, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, Canada.—A U.S.-registered Mitsubishi MU-2 carrying six passengers and a pilot departed from controlled flight and rolled steeply to the right immediately after the pilot disengaged the autopilot two nm from the end of Runway 07 on approach to the airport at Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec. Despite the steep bank, the airplane hit the ground in a near level attitude with approach flaps and landing gear down. All souls on board perished.
The initial investigation, performed by a team representing Transport Canada, the NTSB, FAA, Mitsubishi Aircraft, Honeywell, Nav Canada and Hartzell Propeller, is complete. No mechanical problems were found with the aircraft, its flight controls, navigation systems, landing gear or engines. Weather at the airport between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. was reported as visibility varying between 1.5 and 3 statute miles and ceilings varying between 200 and 400 feet agl with northeast wind of 20 to 30 knots gusting to 35 knots.
The commercial pilot had 2,500 hours total flight time, 140 of them in the MU-2. He had participated in the special training required of all MU-2 pilots-in-command by SFAR 108. In the right seat of the airplane was a passenger who held both a commercial pilot and flight instructor certificate, but records indicate no MU-2 experience.
The investigating team determined that the pilot was flying the MU-2 on the approach at a significantly higher airspeed than is typical for the type. Speed before the initial approach fix was clocked at 240 knots, and then 175 knots just past the final approach fix (typical is 150 knots at the initial approach fix, and 125 knots past the final approach fix). The pilot finally slowed below 175 knots and lowered approach flaps and landing gear just 2.7 nm from the end of the runway.
The aircraft was equipped with a lightweight recording system that Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is analyzing.
Final
Cessna Citation Bravo Rejected Takeoff Resulted in Runway Excursion
Cessna 550 Bravo, Sept. 25, 2015, Loftville, New South Wales, Australia—The Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined that a Cessna Citation 550 Bravo overran the runway’s end at Lismore Airport in Loftville, NSW, snapping off the nosewheel, when the crew attempted to take off with the parking brake engaged.
The captain and copilot taxied out with an empty airplane, heading from Lismore Airport to Baryulgil, NSW. There were no abnormalities during the taxi and takeoff roll. At rotation speed the captain applied normal backpressure on the control column to achieve a standard rate of rotation, but the aircraft would not rotate. The captain then applied full backpressure and reported that the controls felt extremely heavy. Neither the captain nor the copilot detected any change in the aircraft’s pitch attitude or any indication of pitch-up on the attitude direction indicator. The captain rejected the takeoff and applied full braking and reverse thrust, but the aircraft overran the runway. The nose landing gear broke off the aircraft about 150 feet (50 m) beyond the end of the paved runway and the aircraft came to rest in long grass and mud.
The twinjet sustained substantial damage, and the captain and copilot were uninjured.
An investigation determined that the aircraft did not accelerate normally because of drag associated with rolling friction, most likely because of partial brake pressure, possibly from the parking brake remaining on and set during the takeoff run. The parking brake had enough pressure to slow acceleration during the takeoff roll, but not enough friction to prevent the aircraft from reaching its rotation speed.
The nose-down moment generated by the partial brake pressure probably prevented the aircraft from rotating when the captain commanded it, despite normal nose-up elevator deflection. Heat in the brakes caused by partial pressure during the takeoff run may have reduced their effectiveness when the captain rejected the takeoff, contributing to the runway overrun.
This accident prompted the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to issue a safety recommendation to Textron Aviation (Cessna) imploring the manufacturer to take safety action addressing the fact that Citations do not have an annunciator light to show that the parking brake is engaged. More important, the Cessna Bravo pre-takeoff checklist does not include a check to ensure that the parking brake is disengaged. The Australian Transport Safety bureau wants manufacturers to bring such potential configuration problems to the attention of the crew.