Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
King Salmon, Alaska 99611
Sunday, September 30, 2007 17:20 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The float-equipped airplane was transporting sport-fishing clients returning to a lodge from a remote fishing site. The pilot contacted lodge personnel while en route, and estimated his arrival time in about 3 minutes. When the airplane failed to arrive, an aerial search discovered the wreckage about 10 miles from the lodge, along the anticipated flight route. The NTSB's investigation revealed evidence that the airplane's lower left wing to fuselage attachment cap fitting had failed in flight, which resulted in the airplane's uncontrolled descent. The deformation at the upper forward and aft wing attachment points suggested that the airplane's left wing, in part, had failed in flight, but did not completely separate from the airplane. A subsequent metallurgical examination revealed that the fractured wing to fuselage attachment cap fitting displayed evidence of fatigue cracking, which emanated from areas of corrosion pitting. A Safety Board metallurgist noted that the corrosion pitting was located in the interior portion of the pin/bolt hole, where a large bore pin/bolt resides when the wing is attached to the fuselage, which is not visible when the bolt/pin is installed. The metallurgist also noted that there was corrosion on the forward and aft faces of the fitting that would have been visible. Other than the corrosion pitting on the attachment cap fittings and pins/bolts, no metallurgical anomalies were discovered. On September 9, 2008, the FAA issued a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB CE-08-47) recommending a visual inspection for evidence of corrosion, cracking, and other damage on the spar fittings, attachment bolts and related structure, to preclude a structural in-flight failure of the wings.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A corrosion-induced fatigue fracture of the airplane's left wing to fuselage attachment cap fitting, which resulted in a partial separation of the left wing, and an uncontrolled descent.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/30/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1720 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | King Salmon |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99611 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 585805N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1552806W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1736 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAPH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 73 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 19 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 27 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.46 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24355 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA, ANC ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 30 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 26 2008 6:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N295BA |
| NTSB Number | ANC07FA109 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Helio |
| Aircraft Model | H-295 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1409 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 246.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 8733.5 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Branham Adventures |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 190184 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99519 |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | King Salmon |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | King Salmon |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2008 4:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |