Former State Legislator Was Fatally Injured In Post-Maintenance Test Flight

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which fatally injured former state Rep. Mike Kelly, who represented the Fairbanks area.

According to the report, the accident occurred at about 1043 Alaska standard time. The tail wheel, ski-equipped Bellanca Citabria 7GCBC airplane, N88452, was substantially damaged after impacting snow-covered terrain about 17 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Kelly (pictured), a certificated airline transport pilot and the sole occupant, was fatally injured.

The airplane was registered to the pilot and operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A VFR flight plan was filed and activated. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The flight departed Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks at 1026 destined for the Tanana Flats southern training area. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on December 9, the maintenance technician who recently worked on the airplane said that the pilot was performing a post-maintenance test flight for recently installed Micro Vortex Generators. He also said that he installed Landis 2000A penetration skis, a new throttle cable and a new alternator prior to the accident flight. The transponder was removed for repair prior to the accident flight.

A postaccident review of archived FAA radio communication recordings revealed that at 1026, the pilot departed Chena Marina Airport destined for the "southern working area," which is the common terminology for the Tanana Flats area located south of Fairbanks. At 1031 the pilot requested that Fairbanks tower activate his VFR flight plan. The last transmission from the pilot was a few minutes later when he asked if the restricted airspace R-2211 was hot, and tower reported it "cold."

At about 1310, two U.S. Army CH-47 helicopters from the 1-52d Aviation Regiment heard a faint Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) beacon signal on VHF Guard, 121.5 Mhz. Shortly thereafter, a crew member visually identified the wreckage and one of the helicopters landed nearby to assist. Three soldiers went to the wreckage and discovered one occupant with fatal injuries. According to FAA records, Fairbanks tower control was notified at 1318. On December 9, the NTSB IIC, together with another NTSB investigator, two FAA safety inspectors, and two Alaska State Troopers, flew via helicopter to the wreckage site to conduct an accident investigation and recover the pilot's remains.

The airplane was located about seven miles south of Clear Creek Butte, in an open area of snow covered-tundra that consisted of about 6 inches of snow with long grass and scrub brush protrusions among small groves of black spruce trees. All of the airplane's major components were found at the main wreckage site.

The Garmin 296 Global Positioning System (GPS) was recovered from the scene and sent to the NTSB Recorder Laboratory for data extraction. Preliminary post-departure data indicates that the airplane performed three full turns at various altitudes between 1,500 feet to 1,700 feet, followed by a long descending flight path to the southeast that included ground speeds at 26 knots at about 400 feet above the ground with some acceleration prior to ground impact.

Headings during the final descent started at about 128 degrees and varied to 157 degrees. The GPS data indicates that motion ceased after time 1044. This data is preliminary and will continue to be evaluated. On December 10, the airplane's wreckage was recovered, by helicopter, and transported to a secure hangar facility in Fairbanks. On December 13 and 14, with all investigative party members present, a wreckage layout and examination was completed, and additional component testing is pending.

The closest weather reporting facility is at the Fairbanks International Airport, approximately 17 miles northeast the accident site. At 0953, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) was reporting, in part: wind 350 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature -26 degrees F; dew point -31 degrees F; altimeter, 30.70 inHG. Sunrise was at time 1037.

(Kelly photo courtesy Alaska State Legislature Majority Organization)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov