Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Merrill Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Wednesday, April 1, 1987 21:30 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT WAS ON THE LAST LEG OF A SCHEDULED COMMUTER FLIGHT, WHEN IT CRASHED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA WHILE MAKING A VFR APPROACH TO MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, AK. THE CAPT AND HIS SOLE PASSENGER WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND UPSIDE-DOWN IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE'S COPILOT, WHO HAD DEPLANED MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, SAID HE DID NOT SEE THE CAPT USE THE AIRCRAFT'S AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS AT ANY TIME DURING THAT EVENING'S EARLIER FLIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN FUEL TANKS HOLD 100 GALLONS OF USEABLE FUEL; IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE CONSUMED SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 100 GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AMPLE FUEL REMAINED IN THE AUXILIARY TANKS, BUT AN ENGINE RESTART CANNOT BE READILY ACCOMPLISHED IF THE AUXILIARY TANKS ARE NOT SELECTED PRIOR TO THE ENGINE'S QUITTING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/1/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2130 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | ANCHORAGE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99508 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MERRILL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MRI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 137 |
| Airport Elevation | 137 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2139 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 317 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MRI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 137 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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) | 70 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 1 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2135 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 32510 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N967JW |
| NTSB Number | ANC87MA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 402 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 402 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4020067 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6300 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 10 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 92 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILBUR'S FLIGHT OPERATIONS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1740 E. 5TH AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99501 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| 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 | 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2124 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |