Loss of control Accident Arctic Aircraft S-1B2 N73WY,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 17515
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Monday 14 April 2008
Time:10:38
Type:Arctic Aircraft S-1B2
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N73WY
MSN: 1028
Total airframe hrs:7868 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-B2B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:near Rock River, Wyoming -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Survey
Departure airport:Laramie, WY (LAR)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot made consistent statements to various law enforcement, medical response personnel, and the company that he has no memory of the accident sequence. The flight was for the purpose of transporting a State of Wyoming biologist along various watershed features in order to take a census of geese. The biologist said they had been flying about 100 feet agl following a creek over low rolling terrain while he observed and counted the geese. On previous flights, the pilot had flown too fast for the biologist to accurately count the birds of interest and he asked the pilot to fly slower. On this flight, the pilot extended the flaps and was flying slower than on previous flights at a speed he estimated at 50 to 60 miles per hour. They were following the creek and the pilot was in a turn to the right and then he began a turn back to the left. The biologist was looking away when he then heard the pilot call out an expletive. When he looked forward, the airplane was in a right wing and nose down attitude descending toward the ground. The pilot managed to level the airplane out just before ground impact. The biologist said he did not hear a change in the engine sounds during the sequence and had not heard the pilot voice any concerns about the way the airplane was handling.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering that led to an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor in the accident was the low altitude of the flight that reduced the time available for recovery from an upset.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX08LA103
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
22-Apr-2008 10:37 Fusko Added
21-Dec-2016 19:14 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:16 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:20 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
03-Dec-2017 10:42 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org