20000108000889A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hawker HUNTER F.MK.4 · Chino, CA · January 8, 2000

Date
January 8, 2000 · 14:50 local
Place
Chino, CA
Airport
Chino Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N72602
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA070
Reported as
Hawker HUNTERFMK4
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce AVONMK122
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,100 total52 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

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.

(.19) On January 8, 2000, at 1500 hours pacific standard time, an experimental Hawker siddeley hunter f mk 4, N72602, reported loosing engine power during approach to landing near Chino, California. The airplane, operated by jet tech international, sustained substantial damage after landing in a field 1/2 mile short of the airport after the pilot ejected from the airplane. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a ferry flight when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at mojave, California at an unknown time. The pilot told the control tower that the engine was losing power before he flew under wires that were estimated to be 110 feet high, and ejected from the airplane. The airplane had been issued a ferry permit that was valid from January 5 to January 15, 2000, and the ferry permit was to fly the airplane from mojave, California to tulsa, Oklahoma for maintenance work. The owner of the airplane told safety board investigators that the pilot was going to make a short stop in Chino for some maintenance work and then fly to tulsa for f urther maintenance. (-23)pilot reported losing engine power on approach to landing near Chino, CA. A/c landed in field approx. 1/2 mile short of runway at Chino Airport. Pilot ejected on landing. Pilot was flying a/c on ferry permit issued for flight from mojave, CA. To tulsa, ok for maintenance.(.4)on January 8, 2000 at 1450 hours PST, an experimental Hawker siddeley hunter fmk 4, N72602, collided with the ground during a forced landing while on a visual approach to the Chino Airport, Chino, California. The airplane, operated by jetech leasing, inc. sustained substantial damage. The airplane collided with a farm field 1/2 mile short of the runway after the pilot ejected from the airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at mojave, CA., at 1430. The pilot reported that he had begun his turn to the base leg and had extended the flaps to 80 degrees. As he attempted to add power to account for the increased drag, the engine did not respond. While on the downwind leg the engine had been set at 6,500 RPM. The throttle was fully increased with no change in the engine power. He selected an empty field for a forced landing, leveled the wings, aimed for the field, partially raised the flaps, and continued the descent toward the field with partial engine power. As he approached the ground, within a few hundred feet, the pilot saw power lines in his path. He attempted to jettison the canopy "but the system did not work" he stated. He elected to fly under the power lines. Shortly before touchdown in the empty field, the pilot initiated an ejection. His next recollection was of being told to lie still. The ejection seat separated from the airplane and came to rest in the field near the airplane. The pilot reported that on January 6, 2000, he traveled to mojave anticipating that the airplane would soon be ready to ferry. He stated that mose of the maintenance had been done prior to his arrival. He operated the engine at high power settings for the mechanics on the 6th. The mechanic continued the inspections and servicing on the 7th and he repeated the engine runs. On Saturday, January 8, the pilot flew a local flight in the traffic pattern. He performed three touch-and-go landings exercising the flaps, landing gear, and the flight controls. The airplane was then fueled with sufficient fuel to fly to Chino, plus reserves. Following the forced landing and accident, a salvage operator subsequently moved the wreckage to compton, California. During the postcrash examination of the airplane, pebbles and dirt were observed in the engine intake from the intake entrance to the area of the inlet guide vanes (igv's). There was no visible damage to the igv's. the exhaust duct contained a small amount of dirt. There was continuity of the low pressure turbine to the compressor with freedom of rotation. Maintenance records for the engine were not available. A fuel sample from the left wing fuel tank was analyzed. The analysis indicated that there was particulate contamination of 11.5 MG/1. The analysis report stated that the "rule of thumb" industry limit for particulate contamination is about 1 MG/1. The pilot held a letter of authorization (loa) to operate the airplane. The loa was issued to the pilot on February 10, 1999, by an operations inspector in the Arizona flight standards office. It expired on February 28, 2001. An entry in the pilot's log reflected three landings in the airplane on January 8, 2000, at mojave.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON JANUARY 8, 2000, AT 1500 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL HAWKER SIDDELEY HUNTER F MK 4, N72602, REPORTED LOOSING ENGINE POWER DURING APPROACH TO LANDING NEAR CHINO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY JET TECH INTERNATIONAL, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER LANDING IN A FIELD 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE AIRPORT AFTER THE PILOT EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A FERRY FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE PILOT TOLD THE CONTROL TOWER THAT THE ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER BEFORE HE FLEW UNDER WIRES THAT WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 110 FEET HIGH, AND EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT THAT WAS VALID FROM JANUARY 5 TO JANUARY 15, 2000, AND THE FERRY PERMIT WAS TO FLY THE AIRPLANE FROM MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA TO TULSA, OKLAHOMA FOR MAINTENANCE WORK.THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE TOLD SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS THAT THE PILOT WAS GOING TO MAKE A SHORT STOP IN CHINO FOR SOME MAINTENANCE WORK AND THEN FLY TO TULSA FOR F URTHER MAINTENANCE. (-23)PILOT REPORTED LOSING ENGINE POWER ON APPROACH TO LANDING NEAR CHINO, CA. A/C LANDED IN FIELD APPROX. 1/2 MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY AT CHINO AIRPORT. PILOT EJECTED ON LANDING. PILOT WAS FLYING A/C ON FERRY PERMIT ISSUED FOR FLIGHT FROM MOJAVE, CA. TO TULSA, OK FOR MAINTENANCE.(.4)ON JANUARY 8, 2000 AT 1450 HOURS PST, AN EXPERIMENTAL HAWKER SIDDELEY HUNTER FMK 4, N72602, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A FORCED LANDING WHILE ON A VISUAL APPROACH TO THE CHINO AIRPORT, CHINO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY JETECH LEASING, INC. SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A FARM FIELD 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AFTER THE PILOT EJECTED FROM THE AIRPLANE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MOJAVE, CA., AT 1430. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEGUN HIS TURN TO THE BASE LEG AND HAD EXTENDED THE FLAPS TO 80 DEGREES. AS HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER TO ACCOUNT FOR THE INCREASED DRAG, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG THE ENGINE HAD BEEN SET AT 6,500 RPM. THE THROTTLE WAS FULLY INCREASED WITH NO CHANGE IN THE ENGINE POWER. HE SELECTED AN EMPTY FIELD FOR A FORCED LANDING, LEVELED THE WINGS, AIMED FOR THE FIELD, PARTIALLY RAISED THE FLAPS, AND CONTINUED THE DESCENT TOWARD THE FIELD WITH PARTIAL ENGINE POWER. AS HE APPROACHED THE GROUND, WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET, THE PILOT SAW POWER LINES IN HIS PATH. HE ATTEMPTED TO JETTISON THE CANOPY "BUT THE SYSTEM DID NOT WORK" HE STATED. HE ELECTED TO FLY UNDER THE POWER LINES. SHORTLY BEFORE TOUCHDOWN IN THE EMPTY FIELD, THE PILOT INITIATED AN EJECTION. HIS NEXT RECOLLECTION WAS OF BEING TOLD TO LIE STILL. THE EJECTION SEAT SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND CAME TO REST IN THE FIELD NEAR THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ON JANUARY 6, 2000, HE TRAVELED TO MOJAVE ANTICIPATING THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD SOON BE READY TO FERRY. HE STATED THAT MOSE OF THE MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN DONE PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL. HE OPERATED THE ENGINE AT HIGH POWER SETTINGS FOR THE MECHANICS ON THE 6TH. THE MECHANIC CONTINUED THE INSPECTIONS AND SERVICING ON THE 7TH AND HE REPEATED THE ENGINE RUNS. ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, THE PILOT FLEW A LOCAL FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE PERFORMED THREE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS EXERCISING THE FLAPS, LANDING GEAR, AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN FUELED WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL TO FLY TO CHINO, PLUS RESERVES. FOLLOWING THE FORCED LANDING AND ACCIDENT, A SALVAGE OPERATOR SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED THE WRECKAGE TO COMPTON, CALIFORNIA. DURING THE POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, PEBBLES AND DIRT WERE OBSERVED IN THE ENGINE INTAKE FROM THE INTAKE ENTRANCE TO THE AREA OF THE INLET GUIDE VANES (IGV'S). THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE IGV'S. THE EXHAUST DUCT CONTAINED A SMALL AMOUNT OF DIRT. THERE WAS CONTINUITY OF THE LOW PRESSURE TURBINE TO THE COMPRESSOR WITH FREEDOM OF ROTATION. MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THE ENGINE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. A FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS ANALYZED. THE ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION OF 11.5 MG/1. THE ANALYSIS REPORT STATED THAT THE "RULE OF THUMB" INDUSTRY LIMIT FOR PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION IS ABOUT 1 MG/1. THE PILOT HELD A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION (LOA) TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE. THE LOA WAS ISSUED TO THE PILOT ON FEBRUARY 10, 1999, BY AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR IN THE ARIZONA FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE. IT EXPIRED ON FEBRUARY 28, 2001. AN ENTRY IN THE PILOT'S LOG REFLECTED THREE LANDINGS IN THE AIRPLANE ON JANUARY 8, 2000, AT MOJAVE.

NTSB investigation

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