What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed Friday harbor airport (kfhr) enroute to Ketchikan international airport (ktn) on a personal VFR flight. Last contact between the pilot and ktn fss at 2:16P local time, reported 10 miles southeast of the airport and could not get in on the right downwind to runway 11; would hold for inbound traffic and come in on the left downwind. The aircraft subsequently impacted trees at 350 feet altitude while in a left climbing turn, on the north side of judy hill, located approximately 4 miles from the airport runway 29. The weather at the Ketchikan airport at that time was reporting winds from 130 at 10 knots, visibility at 10 statute miles; a few clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1900 feet; however, FAA weather camera images taken from the airport at 1432 and 1442 AKDT, show judy hill obscured by dense fog/clouds at the time. The pilot did not hold a valid medical certificate at the time of the accident. No indications were found that any mechanical anomalies existed with the aircraft, and no indications were found that the pilot experienced a medical issue.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED FRIDAY HARBOR AIRPORT (KFHR) ENROUTE TO KETCHIKAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KTN) ON A PERSONAL VFR FLIGHT. LAST CONTACT BETWEEN THE PILOT AND KTN FSS AT 2:16P LOCAL TIME, REPORTED 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AND COULD NOT GET IN ON THE RIGHT DOWNWIND TO RUNWAY 11; WOULD HOLD FOR INBOUND TRAFFIC AND COME IN ON THE LEFT DOWNWIND. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED TREES AT 350 FEET ALTITUDE WHILE IN A LEFT CLIMBING TURN, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF JUDY HILL, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT RUNWAY 29. THE WEATHER AT THE KETCHIKAN AIRPORT AT THAT TIME WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 130 AT 10 KNOTS, VISIBILITY AT 10 STATUTE MILES; A FEW CLOUDS AT 700 FEET, OVERCAST AT 1900 FEET; HOWEVER, FAA WEATHER CAMERA IMAGES TAKEN FROM THE AIRPORT AT 1432 AND 1442 AKDT, SHOW JUDY HILL OBSCURED BY DENSE FOG/CLOUDS AT THE TIME. THE PILOT DID NOT HOLD A VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO INDICATIONS WERE FOUND THAT ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES EXISTED WITH THE AIRCRAFT, AND NO INDICATIONS WERE FOUND THAT THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A MEDICAL ISSUE.
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 N5840P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.