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19980625020719A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 305A · Morganton, NC · June 25, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 25, 1998 · 12:37 local
Place
Morganton, NC
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N16574
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98GA086
Reported as
Cessna 305A
Reported engine
Continental O47011B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,683 total276 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N16574Registration cancelled Sep 8, 1998 · Cessna Ector 305AS/N 2019Airframe modelCessna Ector 305A

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Severe dwondraft during water drop on forest fire. Unable pullout without stalling. Landed in tree tops. (.4)according to the pilot, he was flying above a fire as a spotter for the u. s. forest service (usfs), although he was employed by the north carolina forest service (ncfs). The fire was on a mountain which lies in a north-south direction. The winds were westerly. He began by flying approximately 600-800 feet above the ridge. After completing several circuits, the pilot stated the air became turbulent, so he climbed 1000 feet. After completing several circuits at the new altitude, the pilot decided to reverse directions and fly a clockwise pattern. He flew away from the mountain on the leeward side and made a 180 degree turn. As he completed the turn, the airplane began to lose altitude rapidly. The pilot stated he added full power and leveled the wings, but he was still descending in excess of 500 feet per minute, with his airspeed decreasing through 80 miles per hour (mph). He then started a right turn to clear the ridge, but he was already below the ridge line. The pilot stated the controls became mushy and unresponsive. He stated he then attempted to make a 'controlled crash'. The pilot reported no problems with the airplane or engine. The pilot report having approximately 4 1/2 years mountain flying experience while in Alaska, but no formal training in mountain flying. The airplane stalls at 47 mph when in level flight with no flaps. Ncfs pilots reported that they have no regulations, handbook, or guidelines for use when flying. (-23)the pilot of ector-Cessna 305A (L-19), N16574, stated; that while flying in support of a forest fire suppression operation, he encountered a severe down draft and was unable to recover. According to the pilot, attempts to recover form the down draft placed the aicraft in a stall at which time the pilot elected to control crash into the trees.

As the FAA filed it

SEVERE DWONDRAFT DURING WATER DROP ON FOREST FIRE. UNABLE PULLOUT WITHOUT STALLING. LANDED IN TREE TOPS. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS FLYING ABOVE A FIRE AS A SPOTTER FOR THE U. S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS), ALTHOUGH HE WAS EMPLOYED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA FOREST SERVICE (NCFS). THE FIRE WAS ON A MOUNTAIN WHICH LIES IN A NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION. THE WINDS WERE WESTERLY. HE BEGAN BY FLYING APPROXIMATELY 600-800 FEET ABOVE THE RIDGE. AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL CIRCUITS, THE PILOT STATED THE AIR BECAME TURBULENT, SO HE CLIMBED 1000 FEET. AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL CIRCUITS AT THE NEW ALTITUDE, THE PILOT DECIDED TO REVERSE DIRECTIONS AND FLY A CLOCKWISE PATTERN. HE FLEW AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN ON THE LEEWARD SIDE AND MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN. AS HE COMPLETED THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE RAPIDLY. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED FULL POWER AND LEVELED THE WINGS, BUT HE WAS STILL DESCENDING IN EXCESS OF 500 FEET PER MINUTE, WITH HIS AIRSPEED DECREASING THROUGH 80 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). HE THEN STARTED A RIGHT TURN TO CLEAR THE RIDGE, BUT HE WAS ALREADY BELOW THE RIDGE LINE. THE PILOT STATED THE CONTROLS BECAME MUSHY AND UNRESPONSIVE. HE STATED HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A 'CONTROLLED CRASH'. THE PILOT REPORTED NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORT HAVING APPROXIMATELY 4 1/2 YEARS MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE WHILE IN ALASKA, BUT NO FORMAL TRAINING IN MOUNTAIN FLYING. THE AIRPLANE STALLS AT 47 MPH WHEN IN LEVEL FLIGHT WITH NO FLAPS. NCFS PILOTS REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE NO REGULATIONS, HANDBOOK, OR GUIDELINES FOR USE WHEN FLYING. (-23)THE PILOT OF ECTOR-CESSNA 305A (L-19), N16574, STATED; THAT WHILE FLYING IN SUPPORT OF A FOREST FIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATION, HE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER FORM THE DOWN DRAFT PLACED THE AICRAFT IN A STALL AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTROL CRASH INTO THE TREES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL98GA086Accident · No injuriesFinal reportMorganton, NCThe inflight encounter with a downdraft which led to a stall/mush and an inflight collision with the ground. Factors were the inadequate training in mountain flying and inadequate guidelines provided by the North Carolina Forest Service.Jun 25, 1998 · Substantial damage