What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Student pilot in last stages of private pilot preparation. He flew his planned long cross country for first two legs and at second stop determined it would be too late to go on planned third leg and then the fouth leg. He then called instructor with his decision to return to Astoria, Oregon direct from lake chelan, Washington. The instructor agreed. Part way back the student called the instructor by telephone while airborne. The student said he was losing his electrical system. The instructor advised him to lower his gear before he lost the ability to lower it. The pilot arrived over Astoria at 1000 feet, but his landing gear, while partially down, did not appear to be locked. The instructor told the panicked student by phone to calm down, climb to 3000 feet and go thru the manual gear extension procedure. The student circled the field for 45 minutes to an hour and finally got the emergency extension handle latched to the firewall per procedure. The pilot said he "had it" and dissapeared from view behind the hangar. It was assumed he was turning base, but the aircraft crashed instead. The only witness to see it in the air just prior to the crash was 1/2 mile away. He saw the airplane about 400 to 500 feet above the ground, nose down in a nearly vertical attitude and with a twisting action. He did not hear any engine noise and thought that to be unusual. The aircraft impacted soft ground and was buried past the engine firewall nearly to the instrument panel in the earth. The propeller did not show evidence of being under power when it struck the ground. The engine had about 85 to 90 hours since a major overhaul, and appeared to be in good condition other than the impact damage. All three landing gear were down and locked. All fuel tanks appear to have been breached. No evedence of fuel found at the scene. There was a small amount of fuel in the lines and carburetor. The cause of the electrical malfunction could not be determined and three electrical components, including the voltage regulator and stc'd alternator have been returned to the electrical component manufacturer for further evaluation.
As the FAA filed it
STUDENT PILOT IN LAST STAGES OF PRIVATE PILOT PREPARATION. HE FLEW HIS PLANNED LONG CROSS COUNTRY FOR FIRST TWO LEGS AND AT SECOND STOP DETERMINED IT WOULD BE TOO LATE TO GO ON PLANNED THIRD LEG AND THEN THE FOUTH LEG. HE THEN CALLED INSTRUCTOR WITH HIS DECISION TO RETURN TO ASTORIA, OREGON DIRECT FROM LAKE CHELAN, WASHINGTON. THE INSTRUCTOR AGREED. PART WAY BACK THE STUDENT CALLED THE INSTRUCTOR BY TELEPHONE WHILE AIRBORNE. THE STUDENT SAID HE WAS LOSING HIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE INSTRUCTOR ADVISED HIM TO LOWER HIS GEAR BEFORE HE LOST THE ABILITY TO LOWER IT. THE PILOT ARRIVED OVER ASTORIA AT 1000 FEET, BUT HIS LANDING GEAR, WHILE PARTIALLY DOWN, DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LOCKED. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PANICKED STUDENT BY PHONE TO CALM DOWN, CLIMB TO 3000 FEET AND GO THRU THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. THE STUDENT CIRCLED THE FIELD FOR 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AND FINALLY GOT THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE LATCHED TO THE FIREWALL PER PROCEDURE. THE PILOT SAID HE "HAD IT" AND DISSAPEARED FROM VIEW BEHIND THE HANGAR. IT WAS ASSUMED HE WAS TURNING BASE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INSTEAD. THE ONLY WITNESS TO SEE IT IN THE AIR JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH WAS 1/2 MILE AWAY. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, NOSE DOWN IN A NEARLY VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND WITH A TWISTING ACTION. HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISE AND THOUGHT THAT TO BE UNUSUAL. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SOFT GROUND AND WAS BURIED PAST THE ENGINE FIREWALL NEARLY TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN THE EARTH. THE PROPELLER DID NOT SHOW EVIDENCE OF BEING UNDER POWER WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE ENGINE HAD ABOUT 85 TO 90 HOURS SINCE A MAJOR OVERHAUL, AND APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION OTHER THAN THE IMPACT DAMAGE. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. ALL FUEL TANKS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN BREACHED. NO EVEDENCE OF FUEL FOUND AT THE SCENE. THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE LINES AND CARBURETOR. THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AND THREE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND STC'D ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N511FS · 1
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