Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bowers Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
Sunday, September 16, 2012 16:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, while in a right turn at 7,500 feet mean sea level and above a land wildfire, the airplane entered a turbulent, dark, narrow, column of smoke. The pilot leveled the wings and continued flight through the turbulent column. When the airplane exited the column, the pilot noticed that he had to make a significant right flight control input to maintain level flight. He made a precautionary landing without further incident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left aileron control rod was separated along the threaded portion of the shaft, about 2.5 inches from the rod end. Subsequent examination of both pieces of the aileron control rod revealed fracture surfaces consistent with overstress, with no indications of previous wear, fatigue, or corrosion. Thus, it is likely that the turbulence encountered while flying through the smoke column was sufficient to overstress the left aileron control rod.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to avoid a turbulent smoke column, which resulted in an overstress failure of the left aileron control rod.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/16/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ellensburg |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98926 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 470135N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1203130W |
| Event Location Airport | Bowers Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ELN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 15 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1764 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1764 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KELN 162253Z AUTO 07003KT 10SM FEW080 28/02 A3012 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31682 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2013 2:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N57112 |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA428 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Model | 690A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11263 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10250 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 4 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 5462 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SKYSTAR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | STRAWBERRY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95375 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Courtney Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | COLUMBIA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95310 |
| Operator Code | JNBA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | 268F |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ELN |
| Departure City | Ellensburg |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ELN |
| Destination City | Ellensburg |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2013 2:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |