Pilot Killed After Parachute Apparently Failed
They were headed from Arizona to Canada in three A-4 Skyhawks.
Once in The Great White North, they were to train Canadian flight
crews on behalf of Advanced Training Systems International (ATSI).
Suddenly, over Utah's Salt Lake, one of the pilots, 42-year old
Philip "Steve" Kenny, declared an emergency. His A-4 suffered an
apparent engine failure. Kenny ejected from the A-4 seconds later,
according to his wingmen. Unfortunately, his parachute failed to
deploy.
The aircraft impacted the water near Salt Lake's Antelope
Island, according to officials at Hill AFB (UT). The flight of
three was to have landed at Hill for refueling before continuing
from ATSI's Arizona facility to Canada. The A-4 itself is still
underwater. NTSB and FAA investigators are beginning their work
now.
Kenny: USNA Grad, Delta Pilot
Kenny, who lived in Atlanta, was a 777 first
officer for Delta. He graduated 25th in his class at the US Naval
Academy in Annapolis in 1982, then spent seven years flying for the
Navy. Kenny was working part-time for ATSI. Family members said he
was not married, but instead, very devoted to his eight nieces and
nephews. As for ATSI, this was the government contractor's first
ever fatal accident.
FAA Preliminary Accident Report
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 263WL Make/Model: A4
Description: A-4, OA-4, TA-4 SKYHAWK
Date: 05/10/2003 Time: 1813
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: SALT LAKE CITY State: UT
Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE, PILOT
ADVISED HE WAS EJECTING, ACFT CRASHED INTO SALT LAKE 5 MILES
WEST OF ANTELOPE ISLAND, ONE PERSON ON BOARD SUFFERED FATAL
INJURIES, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: SPECI KSLC 101811Z 12007KT 10SM FEW012 BKN034 BKN055
07/05 A3008
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase:
Unknown Operation: Other
Departed: MESA, AZ Dep Date:
Dep. Time:
Destination: OGDEN, UT Flt Plan:
IFR Wx
Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: 1813 TCH 270/14 Last Clearance: CLRD DIRECT
HIF
FAA FSDO: SALT LAKE CITY, UT (NM07) Entry
date: 05/12/2003