NTSB Identification:
ANC06FA018
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 25, 2006 in Ketchikan,
AK
Aircraft: Aero Vodochody L-39MS, registration: N104XX
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 8 Minor.
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.
On January 25, 2006, about 1250 Alaska
Standard time, an Aero Vodochody L-39MS airplane,
N104XX, a surplus military warbird built in the Czech
Republic, was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire when it
collided with the ground, and an occupied trailer home during an
instrument approach/circle to land at the Ketchikan International
Airport, Ketchikan, Alaska. The experimental airplane was being
operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross-country ferry
flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The
airplane was operated by Air USA Inc., Quincy, Illinois. The
airline transport certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received
fatal injuries. Eight persons on the ground received minor
injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the
area of the accident. The flight departed VFR about 1141 from the
Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Sitka, Alaska, and an IFR flight
plan was filed.
According to Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel, the airplane was issued a
special ferry permit by an inspector with the Van Nuys Flight
Standards District Office (FSDO), Van Nuys, California, on January
23, 2006, with the options to fly VFR/IFR day/night from Anchorage,
Alaska, to Seattle, Washington. The ferry permit was signed by an
FAA certificated mechanic, certifying that the airplane was safe
for a ferry flight.
According to the operator, the accident airplane departed Palmer,
Alaska, on January 23, about 1500, with another L-39MS airplane,
with an intended destination of Ketchikan. Due to adverse weather
conditions in Ketchikan, the two airplanes diverted to Sitka, and
remained there until January 25.
The accident airplane pilot obtained two weather briefings on
January 25, and departed for Bellingham, Washington, without filing
a flight plan. Due to adverse wind conditions along the planned
route, the pilot diverted to Ketchikan, and obtained an IFR en
route clearance about 1210. The pilot was cleared for the
instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 11 at Ketchikan,
and about 1248, the pilot reported via radio to the Ketchikan
Flight Service Station (FSS) that he had the airfield in-sight, and
stated he would attempt to circle to land on runway 29 at
Ketchikan.
A pilot-rated witness reported that he saw the airplane descend
from the clouds, from about 200 feet above the waters of the
Tongass Narrows, near Peninsula Point, which is about 2 miles from
the crash site. The witness indicated that the visibility was about
3/4 mile in wet blowing snow, and the wind at the time was from the
northwest, about 30 knots. The witness indicated he could see the
outline of the Alaska Marine Highway vessel "Columbia" as it was
southeast bound toward the Ketchikan ferry terminal.
The witness said the accident airplane, with the landing gear down,
descended on about a 20 to 25 degree angle at a high rate of
descent to the surface of the water, about 200 yards from the
shore. The airplane struck the surface twice, each time gaining
about 10 feet before skipping on the surface for a third time. The
first two water impacts produced an extensive spray of water that
obscured his view of the airplane. The airplane then gained
altitude and climbed out of his line of sight.
Several witnesses aboard the vessel "Columbia" reported seeing a
large splash in the water between 3/4 to 1 mile in front of the
vessel. They thought the splash was a whale, but due the limited
visibility of 1/2 to 3/4 mile, none reported seeing or hearing an
airplane. After the water impact, other witnesses on shore reported
seeing the airplane at tree-top level over the town of Ketchikan,
and hearing engine sounds, but then the engine stopped making any
sound. The pilot was observed to eject from the airplane, but the
ejection sequence was incomplete, and he struck the ground while
still in his ejection seat.
The unoccupied airplane collided with the ground in a large open
lot on an easterly heading, struck the western bank of Carlanna
Creek, continued over the creek and struck a trailer home that was
occupied by two persons, crashed into several unoccupied
automobiles, and came to rest in another open lot. Ketchikan Fire
Department personnel responded to the scene and evacuated
residents, and began fighting the trailer fire and the burning
airplane fuselage. While fighting the airplane fire, the rear
ejection seat was blown out of the fuselage by the seat's initial
ejection charge, landing about 150 feet from the wreckage. The
seat's second stage rocket motor did not discharge, and it was
rendered safe by military personnel on the evening of January 28.
Portions of airplane wreckage were located in Carlanna Creek, and
within the interior of the trailer. Further examination of the
airplane engine is pending.
The ILS approach to runway 11 has a minimum descent altitude of
1,000 feet mean sea level (msl), with the missed approach point at
2.7 miles from the runway touchdown point. The water impact
location is about 1.2 mile from the runway threshold, and about .4
mile left of the runway centerline. Runway 11 at Ketchikan is 7,500
feet long.
At 1253, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at Ketchikan
was reporting, in part: Wind, 330 degrees (true) at 14 knots;
visibility, 4 statute miles in light snow and mist; clouds and sky
condition, 400 feet scattered, 1,200 feet broken, 2,300 feet
overcast; temperature, 36 degrees F; dew point, 34 degrees F;
altimeter, 29.33 inHg; remarks, harbor wind, 310 degrees (true) at
11 knots, gusts to 18 knots. A special weather observation at 1304
was reporting, in part: Wind, 330 degrees (true) at 14 knots;
visibility, 2 statute miles in light snow and mist; clouds and sky
condition, 400 feet scattered, 1,000 feet broken, 1,800 feet
overcast; temperature, 34 degrees F; dew point, 34 degrees F;
altimeter, 29.33 inHg.