# NTSB SEA04LA027: Erickson SHA Glasair TD, N434SW, Vansycle, OR, December 15, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 15, 2003, 14:16 local (22:16 UTC) - Place: Vansycle, OR - Coordinates: 44.572841, -122.071754 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5728&lon=-122.0718&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report September 29, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 58492 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA04LA027 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58492/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=58492 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA04LA027 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance with the anemometer pole/wires during low altitude flight. Contributing factors were the pole and the pilot's low altitude flight. ## Analysis The pilot and passenger departed Yakima destined for Walla Walla, Washington, and en route flew through an area of wind turbines and associated anemometer poles measuring 50 meters in height. An ear witness reported hearing an explosive sound and noted smoke in the direction of the sound. Upon investigating the sound, the witness discovered the aircraft ground impact site about 1000 feet east-northeast of a broken anemometer pole. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the accident site and the pilot had logged more than 11,200 hours of flight experience. ## Factual narrative On December 15, 2003, approximately 1416 Pacific standard time an Erickson SHA Glasair TD homebuilt aircraft, N434SW, registered to/operated by and being flown by an airline transport rated pilot was destroyed during collision with a pole/wires and subsequent ground impact during an unknown phase of operation approximately one nautical mile north of Vansycle, Oregon. The pilot and passenger both sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, originated from Yakima, Washington, approximately 1345, and its destination was reported to be Walla Walla, Washington (refer to Chart I). An ear witness reported hearing an explosive sound and noted smoke in the direction of the sound. Upon investigating the location he found the aircraft heavily fragmented at the ground impact site. The aircraft was a single engine, homebuilt, composite, two-place plane with side-by-side seating (refer to Attachment G-I). Records maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed the pilot/owner was issued a certificate of registration for the aircraft on July 31, 2000. The pilot had been issued an airline transport certificate with a multi-engine land rating on May 31, 1985, including commercial privileges in aircraft single-engine land. Additionally, he held type ratings in the Boeing 737, Beech 1900 and Swearingen SA-227 aircraft. A single flight log in the pilot's name was reviewed and the total flight time between the first flight logged (10/06/1966) and the last flight logged (12/11/2003) was approximately 11,212 hours. According to records maintained by the FAA he reported a total of 16,150 hours of flight experience as of the medical examination conducted on April 23, 2003, at which time he was issued a third class medical. The medical contained a limitation that the pilot must wear corrective lenses. It was not known whether he was in compliance with this requirement at the time of the accident. Toxicological evaluation of samples from the pilot was reported as negative (refer to attached report). Post mortem examination of the pilot was conducted by R. Stefancik, M.D., at Munselle Rhodes Funeral Home, Milton-Freewater, Oregon, on December 17, 2003. An inspector assigned to the FAA's Hillsboro Flight Standards District Office conducted the on site examination. The accident site was located within an area of wind turbines and an anemometer pole measuring 50 meters in height was observed to have the top portion separated and lying on the ground near wing fragments, with the aircraft approximately 1,000 feet further east-northeast and the occupants thrown clear (refer to Chart II and photographs 1 through 6). A post crash fire consumed most of the aircraft. There were no known eyewitnesses to the accident. The power company managing the wind turbine farm reported that Met tower number 132 stopped reporting wind information from its top anemometer approximately 1416 (refer to Attachment PC-I). The latitude and longitude of the tower was reported as 45 degrees 58.237 minutes North and 118 degrees 43.529 minutes West respectively. The FAA inspector reported the latitude and longitude of the ground impact site as 45 degrees 58.228 minutes North and 118 degrees 43.296 minutes West respectively (refer to Chart III). Aircraft logs and records as well as the pilot's logbook and associated paperwork were returned to the aircraft's co-owner via two-day Federal Express on June 8, 2004. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, unknown - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - object - pole (contributing factor) - altitude - low, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Loss of control - in flight, unknown - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - ground ## Aircraft - Registration: [N434SW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N434SW-2012-07-30), registration cancelled 2012-07-30, S/N 434 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Erickson (Glasair) SHA Glasair TD - Registry model: [Erickson Verdie B SHA GLASAIR TD](https://openairdocs.org/model/erickson-verdie-b-sha-glasair-td) (registry code 05655NA) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 434 - Airframe hours: 1135 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E3D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Erickson, Verdie B. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, April 11, 2003, 60 hours before - Departed: YKM, Yakima, WA - Destination: ALW, Walla Walla, WA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: fatal; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review January 5, 2003; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 11,212 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 30.29 inHg - Observed at: PDT, 17 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031215033029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031215033029A), Dec 15, 2003: Amtr GLASAIRTD, Helix, OR, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) N434SW hit a data collection control tower during a pleasure flight. Aircraft destroyed; two fatalities. Tower was/is located in class g airspace, paint… ## Docket (11 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=58492. 10.6 MB in all. - Supplement S (item 1, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40216585&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Chart I, II, and III (item 2, .PDF, 5.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217066&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Chart%20I,%20II,%20and%20III-Master.PDF - Attachment G-I (item 3, .PDF, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217067&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Attachment%20G-I-Master.PDF - Attachment PC-I (item 4, .PDF, 794 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217069&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Attachment%20PC-I-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 5, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40401065&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Digital Image 1. A view of the ground impact site and post crash fire. (item 6, .PDF, 759 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217072&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%201.%20%20A%20view%20of%20the%20ground%20impact%20site%20and%20post%20crash%20fire.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 2. A close-up view of a section of fuselage aft of the cockpit. (item 7, .PDF, 732 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217073&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%202.%20%20A%20close-up%20view%20of%20a%20section%20of%20fuselage%20aft%20of%20the%20cockpit.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 3. A view of the anemometer tower "MET 132" impacted. (item 8, .PDF, 763 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217074&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%203.%20%20A%20view%20of%20the%20anemometer%20tower%20%22MET%20132%22%20impacted.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 4. An exemplar view of one of the anemometer towers (top). (item 9, .PDF, 526 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217075&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%204.%20%20An%20exemplar%20view%20of%20one%20of%20the%20anemometer%20towers%20(top).-Master.PDF - Digital Image 5. A view of the upper section of the impacted tower. (item 10, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217076&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%205.%20%20A%20view%20of%20the%20upper%20section%20of%20the%20impacted%20tower.-Master.PDF - Digital Image 6. A close-up of the same tower section. (item 11, .PDF, 627 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40217079&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Digital%20Image%206.%20%20A%20close-up%20of%20the%20same%20tower%20section.-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.