Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ketchikan International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 12:50 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airline transport certificated pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 ferry flight in a military jet surplus warbird when the airplane collided with water and a residential area during an instrument approach to land. During the circle-to-land contact approach, the pilot was advised by an FAA flight service station specialist at the island airport that the weather did not look favorable for a contact approach due to low clouds and visibility. A pilot-rated witness on the shore across from the island reported seeing the airplane descend from the clouds and strike the ocean three times before it climbed out of sight. The witness described the visibility as about 3/4 mile in blowing snow. The airplane continued to fly for approximately 2.3 miles, until other witnesses near a town on the shore heard the engine stop, and saw the jet and a parachute at a low altitude. The airplane collided with the ground in a large lot, and continued into an occupied trailer home and parked vehicles. A postcrash fire ensued. Inspection of the airplane disclosed no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. The loss of engine power was consistent with the water impact which damaged the inlet fan and compressor stator. The circle-to-land minimum descent altitude for aircraft with a 120 knot approach speed is 2,500 feet msl, and requires 3 miles visibility. Prior to impact, the pilot attempted to eject from the airplane at a low altitude. The ejection was unsuccessful, and the pilot struck a tree while still in the ejection seat. Inspection of the ejection apparatus disclosed no evidence of any preimpact malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow published instrument landing procedures and his descent below approach minimums during an IFR circle to land approach, which resulted in the airplane striking the ocean and a loss of engine power. Factors contributing to the accident were low clouds and snow.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/25/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1250 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Ketchikan |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99901 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 552130N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1314145W |
| Event Location Airport | Ketchikan International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAKT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 88 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 235 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAKT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 88 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 307 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.33 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 5 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 5 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20929 |
| NTSB Notification Source | |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 25 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2007 11:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-JNU FSDO 05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N104XX |
| NTSB Number | ANC06FA018 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aero Vodochody |
| Aircraft Model | L-39MS |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 040004 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 15430 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 749 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air USA Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1659 Highway 104 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Quincy |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 62305 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PASI |
| Departure City | Sitka |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1141 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAKT |
| Destination City | Ketchikan |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - circling (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2006 2:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 7500 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |