Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Flagstaff, Arizona 86002
Friday, February 20, 1987 18:45 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS ON AN EMERG MED SVC (EMS/MED-EVAC) FLT WITH A PLT & FLT NURSE ABOARD TO TRANSPORT A MATERNITY PATIENT FM FLAGSTAFF TO PHOENIX. DRG A NGT ARRIVAL, THE PLT BGN A VOR-A APCH IN IMC, THEN HE RPRTD A PROBLEM WITH HIS AVIONICS & ELECTED TO MAKE A MISSED APCH. DRG THE MISSED APCH, HE SAID THAT HE 'LOST' AN INVERTER, THEN RPRTD THE GYROS WERE INOP. RADAR VECTORS WERE BEING PROVIDED WHEN HE STATED 'WE HAVE BIG TROUBLE HERE.' SOON THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CTC WERE LOST & THE ACFT CRASHED APRX 7 MI SE OF THE ARPT. DRG IMPACT, THE ACFT MADE A DEEP CRATER & WAS DEMOLISHED. NO PREIMPACTENG OR AIRFRAME FAILURE WAS FND. AN INV REVEALED THE #2 (COPLT'S) ATTITUDE INDCR WAS INOP ON THE PREV FLT. A DISCREPANCYRPRT WAS TAKEN TO THE AVIONICS DEPT, BUT THE REQD ENTRY WAS NOT MADE IN THE ACFT FORM-4. THE PLT TKOF BEFORE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. THE OPNS MANUAL REQD 1000 HRS MULTI-ENG TIME AS PIC & TRNG BY DESIGNATED CFI'S. THE PLT HAD APRX 837 HRS MULTI-ENG TIME, RECD 9 TRNG FLTS IN N6858S WITH NON-DESIGNATED INSTRUCTORS, COMPLETED A PART 135 FLT CHK ON 2/17/88.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/20/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1845
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City FLAGSTAFF
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 86002
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 7
Degrees magnetic from airport 128
Airport Elevation 7011
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1845 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 308
Weather Observation Facility ID FLG
Elevation of weather observation facility 7011
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 40
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2241
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 20 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36387
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6858S
NTSB Number LAX87FA119
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 441
Aircraft Series Identifier 441
Aircraft Serial Number 0253
Certified Max Gross Weight 9850
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Feb 10 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 239
Airframe Hours 3349
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CESSNA FINANCE CORP.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 308
Aircraft Owner City WICHITA
Aircraft Owner State KS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 67201
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SAMARITAN HEALTH SERVICES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1410 N. 3RD ST.
Operator City PHOENIX
Operator State AZ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PHX
Departure City PHOENIX
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code FLG
Destination City FLAGSTAFF
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --