Mechanical Defects and Lack of Training

 Remember this one from just over a year ago?

A Saab 2000 twin-engine turboprop crashed at the Unalaska airport Oct. 17, 2019, killing one passenger and injuring four others. (National Transportation Safety Board photo)

Mechanical issue discovered after fatal Unalaska plane crash, federal documents show

Investigators found problems with an anti-skid device after the crash of a Saab 2000 turboprop last year at Unalaska’s airport that left one passenger dead and several injured, according to federal documents released this week.

The Ravn Air Group pilots who landed in gusty, shifting winds on Oct. 17, 2019, lacked the flying time traditionally required for the challenging landing in notorious Aleutian weather on a short runway, according to a massive fact-finding docket released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

A report that’s part of the docket also describes concerns about Ravn’s safety culture at the time.

During landing after a second approach to Unalaska in windy conditions with 39 passengers and three crew, the plane careened off the runway, crashing through a perimeter fence and across a road before coming to rest on rocks at the water’s edge, the front wheel in the water of Dutch Harbor. Shrapnel and part of a propeller sliced into the cabin.

David Allan Oltman, a 38-year-old Washington state man coming to Unalaska for work, died and four passengers were injured.

An experienced commercial pilot sitting next to Oltman noted a heavy squall in the distance and wind gusts hitting the water, according to a first-person account included in the docket. The plane landed, then skidded to the right, the man said. He saw water coming at him. The ceiling collapsed and the propeller nearly hit him.

The man, who suffered “moderate” compression fractures, tried to help his critically injured seatmate. A doctor began administering first aid. The forward exit was in the water and the plane’s angle was too steep to evacuate Oltman through the rear, so they waited for medics to arrive.

The man “noted that if he was 2 inches over, he would have been killed,” the account states. “He noted that while he was assisting the victim, someone asked the pilots what happened, and one pilot said something like ‘the computer said we should be ok.’”

Oltman’s death marked the first crash-related fatality for a U.S. commercial airline in the past decade.

Read the rest here.

Pilot of Alaska plane killed in Rainy Pass

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - One man is dead after the small plane that he was piloting crashed in the area of Rainy Pass.

Carl David Oberg, 67, a pilot flying with Regal Air Services at Lake Hood, died after the Cessna 206 he was piloting crashed.

Alaska State Troopers confirmed the death in a dispatch report early Tuesday morning. They were notified of the crash itself at 5:43 p.m. Monday.

According to AST, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center responded to the area of Rainy Pass and located the plane and Oberg, the sole occupant on board, deceased.

Oberg's body was transported back to JBER, where the State Medical Examiner took possession of his body.

So far there is no preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Bureau into what caused the crash.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Nigh unbelievable, except we've lived in Alaska long enough to know it happens all the time.

New report states plane was loaded with masonry mortar in deadly Willow Lake crash

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Over a week following the deadly plane crash on Willow Lake, which claimed the life of 24-year-old pilot Colt Richter, officials have issued a preliminary report detailing what they believe happened on that day.

Fire from Willow plane crash as seen from the air (Courtesy Doug Glenn)

Richter, 24, of Anchorage, was flying for operator Regal Air with two passengers on board. The passengers survived the crash, Richter was declared dead at the scene near where the plane took off from Willow Lake. The filed flight itinerary showed the plane was headed to FBI Lake in the Skwentna area.

According to the report, issued by the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday and approved for release Tuesday, the plane, a float-equipped De Havilland DHC-2 or Beaver, crashed into trees after a loss of control during takeoff climb.

Previously, witnesses said the plane was trying to climb higher after taking off from the lake. According to the NTSB report, the plane was loaded down with cargo in addition to the two passengers on board, a woman and her 2 year old son, who both sustained serious injuries.

"Witnesses reported that after arriving at the Willow Seaplane Base, the pilot loaded the passenger's cargo, which according to a statement provided by the passenger, consisted of multiple bags of masonry mortar, three totes full of food and stores, two propane tanks, and miscellaneous baggage and supplies," the report states.

The NTSB stated multiple witnesses at Willow Lake saw the plane fail two takeoff attempts and "appeared heavy" while doing so, dipping off the water. Finally, in the third attempt, the plane took off, and was recorded on cell phone footage by three separate witnesses. They reported it was "perceived as an unusual operation" at that time.

"Each witness stated that the airplane departed to the south and descended out of sight below the tree line. Soon thereafter, a loud airplane impact was heard," the NTSB statement reads.

The next thing that happened after the impact, according to investigators, was a witnesses report, spotting the passenger walking from the crash site with her 2-year-old in her arms, the airplane "engulfed in flames."

Alaskan Aviation: A Week of Differing Results

Alaskan Aviation Festival Showcases American History

Organizers for the festival said it is meant to bring community members together to understand what aviation means to the state.

Michael Buzinski, a board member for the museum said the event is not about fundraising.

"This is not a big fundraiser for us, this is more about giving back to the community that we serve and making sure that people understand what aviation has been to the state and what it's gonna be to the state in the future," Buzinski said.

The event features modern day and vintage planes.


UPDATE: NTSB says friends launched an initial search for the now fatal plane crash

The National Transportation safety board says the crash happened around 10 A.M. Saturday.
Officials say friends of the pilot launched a private search for the plane initially.

"They did find the airplane." said Alaska NTSB Chief, Clint Johnson.

"The flight was intended to shuttle a group up to a cabin up in that area. They had completed that first shuttle and the pilot was on the way back to Sand Lake to do the last shuttle of two people and that's when the plane became missing," Johnson said.

Troopers said [searchers] found the aircraft along with the deceased pilot,75 year old, Donald Wayne Frantz.

Johnson said the NTSB is also monitoring a second report of a crash possibly involving a float plane near Wasilla. No injuries were reported in that crash.

Black bear kills teen runner during trail race near Anchorage

A 16-year-old runner in a Bird Ridge mountain race was killed by a black bear he apparently encountered while descending the trail Sunday, Alaska State Troopers and the race director said.

A Chugach State Park ranger shot the bear in the face, but it ran away. Rangers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game were still looking for the animal Sunday night on the slope during overlooking Turnagain Arm southeast of Anchorage.

 

The teenager, who has not been identified, was a participant in the juniors division of the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb, said race director Brad Precosky. The close-knit Alaska mountain running community is in shock at the fatal mauling, he said.

"This is the worst thing that could happen," he said.

Girl Buried, Injured - UPDATE

North Pole 4-year-old dies after snow sliding off roof buries her

A 4-year-old girl trapped for eight minutes under snow that slid off the roof of her North Pole home Saturday has died at an Anchorage hospital.

Alexcia Baril died Monday, Alaska State Troopers said in an online dispatch.

Troopers were called to the home shortly before 1:30 p.m. Saturday by Baril's grandmother, who said she couldn't find the girl after "a large amount of snow broke free of the metal roof on the residence."

"The child was located buried under 5 feet of snow on the back porch," troopers wrote. "(Medics) and North Star Fire Department responded and recovered the child. The child was not breathing nor did she have a pulse at the time of recovery."

The fire department chief, Robert Wells, told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that Baril was the first member of the family to step outside as they left the home when the snow came down. He said the slide was "similar to an avalanche" and that Baril spent eight minutes under the snow before her father found her hand.

Troopers said emergency staff at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital had stabilized Baril on Saturday before she was flown to Anchorage for further treatment.

A Tough Week for Small Planes in Alaska

It's been awhile since I've had to report on plane crashes, here.


Former state Rep. Mike Kelly dies in plane crash near Fairbanks
Former Republican state Rep. Mike Kelly of Fairbanks died on Wednesday in a plane crash on Fort Wainwright outside of the Interior Alaska city.

Kelly was piloting the single-engine American Champion Citabria plane when it crashed on military property, 17 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The crash was first reported to troopers about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Kelly's death was first reported by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Kelly was an older brother of Sen. Pete Kelly, the incoming Senate president from Fairbanks.

Alaska State Troopers said a military helicopter that was flying in the area around the time of the crash received a signal from the downed plane's emergency locator beacon and responded to the scene.

Clint Johnson, National Transportation Safety Board Alaska region chief, said the plane carried only the pilot. He said it was too soon to say Wednesday evening how the crash occurred. He said he did not yet know where the plane had taken off from and where it was headed.


Small plane missing with 4 aboard was headed to Anchorage

A search and rescue effort was underway Wednesday evening for an airplane that went missing between Port Alsworth and Anchorage with four people aboard.

The Piper PA-28 Cherokee left Port Alsworth, 165 miles southwest of Anchorage, around 10:30 a.m., said Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Edward Eagerton.

The plane was planning to fly through Lake Clark Pass and was scheduled to land at Anchorage's Merrill Field at noon.

Four people were on board.

One Dead After CAP Plane Crashes Into Downtown Building

Civil Air Patrol authorities have identified the person killed when a small plane crashed into a pair of down town Anchorage buildings early Tuesday.

CAP also said the flight was not sanctioned by the agency.

In a statement, the Civil Air Patrol said 1st Lt. Doug Demarest was the person killed in the crash of the Cessna 172S.

“The pilot was not authorized to fly the aircraft,” CAP officials wrote. “He joined CAP in 2010.”

CAP spokeswoman Julie DeBardelaben wouldn’t say whether Demarest was the pilot of the aircraft, or how many people were on board.  “All that's still under investigation now,” DeBardelaben said.

The small plane hit two buildings in downtown Anchorage early Tuesday morning killing one occupant of the plane and sparking a fire.

Though officials say they have no reason to believe the crash is related to terrorism, the FBI is assisting in the investigation.

"Some evidence warrant us bringing them into the investigation," National Transportation Safety Board Alaska Region Chief Clint Johnson said. He declined to elaborate further.

Anchorage police said they first received reports that a small plane crashed into the Brady Building, a office building on West Fourth Avenue, at 6:19 a.m. Tuesday.

Anchorage police spokeswoman Anita Shell said the plane was reported to be fully engulfed in flames within minutes. By 6:53, Anchorage Fire Department officials said the fire was extinguished and firefighters were working to control smoke in buildings.

The scene of the crash is near a very popular local cafe' where many locals and tourists gather for breakfast. We're very blessed to have no other injuries.


p.s. A heartfelt "thank you!" to several who e-mailed privately to make sure we're okay.

Ungood

An Alaska pilot died Thursday in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in what a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said was a single-plane ground accident.

At about 11 a.m., the pilot died after walking into the moving propeller of a Piper PA-18 Super Cub that was idling without a pilot at the controls, according to Clint Johnson, an Alaska spokesperson for the NTSB.

... Because the engine was running, the NTSB is investigating the incident, Johnson said. But he and Alaska State Troopers both said the National Park Service was leading up the investigation. 

 Many of us talk about how Alaska can kill you if you aren't paying attention, but this one could have happened anyplace.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of the pilot.

Missing Pilot Found Dead

Missing pilot found dead in Prince William Sound

Alaska State Troopers found the body of a missing pilot and his plane floating in Prince William Sound Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, ending a search that lasted more than 24 hours.

The crew of a troopers vessel found the man's body and the Cessna 180 he had been flying in the waters off Culross Island in western Prince William Sound, near Whittier.

Cessna 180 - (en.wikipedia.org)

On Wednesday afternoon, KTUU identified the pilot as Dale Carlson, 53, of Wasilla. Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert of the Coast Guard's Anchorage public affairs office would not confirm the pilot's identity Wednesday night.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center had received a mayday call from the pilot in the vicinity of Perry Island.

The pilot reported “he had an engine failure and that he was going to try to set the plane down,” Eggert said.

The plane lost contact after that, Eggert said.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. May God comfort them.

A Sad Story

CANTWELL - A woman was killed and two others aboard a Princess tour bus injured in a rollover crash near mile 173 of the Parks Highway, said Alaska State Troopers.

The crash was reported at about 8 a.m. Friday.

Three people, all Princess employees, were on board the bus when it crashed, troopers said.

According to the Alaska State Troopers, the bus was going too fast for the rain-slick roads. A trooper said it best:

“When you get rain and other factors, you need to travel under the speed limit,” said Trooper Sgt. Jess Carson. “Only as quickly as you can travel safely Unfortunately, this is an example of what happens when people travel either beyond their ability or beyond the ability of the vehicle.”

NTSB Report: Mechanical Problem Discovered

Our hearts break at any tragic death, and this one would have been so easily preventable. From today's Alaska Dispatch:

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report for the July 2 crash of a Piper PA-12 at Merrill Field. The accident, which resulted in the death of 61-year-old pilot and sole occupant Charles Hancock, occurred shortly after takeoff at 8:20 a.m. A post-crash examination of the aircraft's elevator control cables showed they were misrigged and "... attached to the incorrect (opposite) locations on the elevator control horn, resulting in a reversal of elevator control inputs."

According to the report, the airplane had been undergoing extensive maintenance for about five years and neither the airplane's co-owner nor others at the airport were aware of it having been flown before the accident flight.

... However, after establishing elevator control cable continuity, the NTSB investigator determined that "manipulating the rear control stick aft (to command airplane nose-up) resulted in cable movement corresponding with a downward deflection of the elevator (which would result in airplane-nose-down flight)."

That would do it.

from www.ktuu.com

KTUU, Channel 2 news in Anchorage, reported yesterday that the NTSB investigators can't find the repair log(s) that the owner should have kept. He was apparently working on the plane himself, and it would seem that he didn't ask anyone to double-check his work before taking off.

NTSB officials have been able to verify that much of the maintenance done to Hancock's plane was performed by Hancock himself. However, in most cases when a pilot is taking responsibility for their own repairs an engineer will typically double-check any maintenance performed, said spokesperson Clint Johnson. It's unclear whether or not that happened this time, Johnson noted. Further, Johnson noted Hancock was not a certified aviation mechanic.

... Also unusual Johnson said, NTSB investigators are having a difficult time locating any maintenance records for Hancock's PA-12. Hancock didn’t typically keep his plane at a dedicated hangar space, Johnson said, rather it was stored at a private residence where much of the repair work was done.

There's more at the links.

Strange in Nome, and Yesterday's Pilot Identified

The pilot who was killed in yesterday's crash at Merrill Field in Anchorage was Charles Hancock, 61. It will be awhile before a cause is determined.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Cathy Gagne said that Hancock, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was in communication with the Merrill Field tower when the plane apparently crashed during takeoff.

. . . According to witnesses, the plane was airborne before it crashed nose-down, Gagne said.

* * * * *

And Nome, Alaska has a problem you wouldn't normally expect.

Nome is used to rowdy residents, but some relatively new transplants are making a real nuisance of themselves -- although unlike the colorful characters of the early 20th century gold rush days, these visitors have four legs, not two.

Musk oxen butt heads about a quarter mile-outside Nome on the Beltz Highway on Sunday May, 25.

SUE GREENLY

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2014/07/02/3544749/musk-ox-invasion-keeps-nome-wildlife.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Musk oxen are wandering into the city on the Seward Peninsula, and despite loud noises, water hoses and even a blow-up bear coated in ursine urine, they don't want to leave.

The animals -- actually more closely related to goats and sheep than to oxen -- are large, hairy and, as their name implies, smelly, thanks to a scent gland males use to attract mates. With large horns, standing up to 5 feet tall and weighing in at close to half a ton, adult musk oxen can pose a threat to people and pets that either get too close or attract the hulking animals' ire. There are an estimated 100 musk oxen near Nome, in about four or five different groups, according to Tony Gorn, a wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Gorn said several dogs have been killed by the musk oxen, although so far, no people have been hurt.

There's more at the link.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2014/07/02/3544749/musk-ox-invasion-keeps-nome-wildlife.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Not Again ...

A male pilot was killed when his plane crashed at Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The crash was reported at 8:24 a.m.


National Transportation Safety Board investigator Cathy Gagne said the pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was in communication with the Merrill Field tower when the plane apparently crashed during takeoff. Merrill Field is a 634-acre patch of airstrips and taxiways, parked small planes and helicopters, one mile east of downtown Anchorage.

The plane, a 1964 Piper PA-12, had been heading west from runway 7/25, the longest of the airport's three runways, Gagne said. She said preliminary information suggests the plane had left the ground when the crash occurred.

 

Another Aviation Fatality

I wish I knew what's going on this year: planes are falling out of the sky, up here.

A former Alaska State Trooper was killed Thursday night when his 1952 Cessna 170 crashed northwest of Eureka, troopers said.

1952 Cessna 170b

Michael S. Zobel, 41, of Anchorage died in the crash, troopers said. The cause wasn't immediately clear. Zobel, a private pilot, was alone in the plane.

A friend of Zobel's in a nearby hunting party witnessed the crash, which was reported at 7:54 p.m. Thursday, troopers said. LifeMed Alaska responded and confirmed Zobel's death due to injuries sustained in the crash, troopers said.

Zobel went up to look for a moose that had been shot, according to troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters. He was part of the hunting party that watched the crash, Peters said.

I know a few pilots here, and they're all just shaking their heads. Bad weather accounts for some of the accidents, but others ..?

A Couple of Things We've Discussed Here

Moose in the Roadway Dept: 

A woman driving alone on the Richardson Highway Wednesday evening was killed when her vehicle crashed into a moose, Alaska State Troopers said.

The entire top of her vehicle, a blue 2006 Acura, was ripped off, the trooper report said.

Sad, but not uncommon in car/moose collisions.


Love, Exciting and New Old and Busted Dept:  The Associated Press reports...

JUNEAU, Alaska — A Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman says the ship that returned to port in Ketchikan last weekend after experiencing mechanical problems is scheduled to depart on Thursday.

Cynthia Martinez says the Millennium will head to a shipyard in the Bahamas for repairs. She says it will sail using its other propulsion motor.

Needless to say, there won't be any passengers aboard.

Fairbanks Man Killed by Bear Mauling (UPDATE)

By Chris Klint Channel 2 News

11:39 a.m. AKDT, June 7, 2013

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—

Alaska State Troopers say a Fairbanks man died in an apparent bear mauling Thursday night near Delta Junction, after another person at the scene hid inside a cabin.

According to a Friday AST dispatch, troopers received a report of the incident in which 64-year-old Robert Weaver died, outside a cabin at George Lake, just before 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

“It was reported that one individual was on the ground outside the cabin, condition unknown,” troopers wrote. “The second individual sought shelter inside the cabin and called for help.”

... “While the Alaska Wildlife Trooper was conducting the death investigation, a black bear wandered on scene,” troopers wrote. “The bear was dispatched by the Trooper. It is unknown if the dispatched bear is the same animal that reportedly mauled Weaver.”

Article here.

UPDATE:  The article now opens with "A bear killed a 64-year-old Fairbanks man late Thursday outside a cabin on George Lake, southeast of Delta Junction, according to Alaska State Troopers." I guess the overly-cautious description in the earlier version lead to questions like the one Well Seasoned Fool asks in comments, below. :)