SEA94LA054

The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight when he heard a loud bang from the tail and the airplane entered a spin to the left. The pilot regained control and initiated a forced landing near an airstrip where the airplane collided with trees. The pilot reported that the rudder was bent 90 degrees to the left and suspected that the airplane had collided with a bird. A witness reported that he observed the airplane flying in formation with another airplane when a collision occurred. The accident airplane descended rapidly, while the other airplane continued out of the area and was not identified.

On February 2, 1994, at 1500 Pacific standard time, a Fokker DR- 1, N10717, collided in flight with another airplane while maneuvering near Auburn, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the certificated Airline Transport pilot was not injured. The flight had originated from the Evergreen Skyranch private airstrip near Auburn, on February 2, 1994, at 1430, as a personal flight. The other airplane was not identified nor was there a report of another aircraft damaged at the time of the accident.During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that after takeoff, he circled the airstrip several times and attained an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet above ground level. The airplane was leveled out and the pilot stated that he then heard a loud bang from the tail section. The airplane pitched up and entered a spin to the left. The pilot corrected with full right rudder, full right aileron control, and up elevator. The pilot was able to recover control of the airplane and reported that rudder control was not effective. The pilot headed back to the airstrip maintaining full right rudder and aileron control to maintain level flight. The pilot was unable to turn the airplane to the right without the airplane entering a left spin, so he set up for an off airport landing. The airplane collided with trees near the northeast end of the airstrip.

After the accident, the pilot reported that he found that all of the control cables were intact and functioning. The rudder was found bent over 90 degrees to the left and the leading edge was damaged. The pilot stated that "The rudder showed no sign of rust or old cracks at the failed joint. So I have to think that I may have had a collision with a large bird as there are many seen flying in this area."

An individual working in the area at the time of the accident reported that he heard the sound of airplanes overhead and looked up to see five small airplanes flying in formation and heading in a westerly direction. The witness noticed that one of the airplanes was red and had three wings. The witness reported that the other four airplanes were light colored or white. A short time later, the witness heard engine noise again and looked up to see only two airplanes flying in formation. One was the red airplane with three wings and the other was a slightly larger white airplane. The red airplane looked to be directly under the white airplane and both were very close to one another. The witness called to his co-workers to look at the two airplanes when the red airplane suddenly brought the nose up. The witness stated that "The other plane jerked a little - I am fairly certain that the 2 (two) planes actually made contact." The white airplane continued heading south and the red airplane started a rapid descent. The witness then lost sight of the airplane behind some trees.