Elim, AK, USA
N303BK
HARDEN RV-7
The pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight on a route that passed near a small coastal town and uncontrolled airport. Witnesses at the coastal town reported low clouds, fog, and poor visibility in the area just before the accident. They also saw and heard an airplane flying very low over their town, which was at a lower elevation than the airport. One witness estimated that the airplane was only a few feet above power lines, or about 30 feet above ground level. The witnesses noted that the airplane flew over the airport and village twice and, during the last pass, turned north toward the top of a hill and the crash site. They indicated that the engine sound was steady. Data from a global positioning system unit found in the wreckage depicted the airplane's track from departure to the accident site. Near the accident airport, the track was along a meandering path that crossed itself and had several course reversals. Images from weather cameras at the accident airport indicated that the visibility was less than 1 mile. The pilot did not have an instrument rating. No record was found that the pilot had received a weather briefing prior to the flight. A postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical anomalies. Given the poor weather conditions, witness reports, the meandering flight path near the airport, the pilot's lack of an instrument rating, and the absence of any mechanical problems with the airplane, it is likely the pilot flew into instrument meteorological weather conditions while attempting to locate the runway and collided with rising terrain near the airport.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 9, 2009, about 1632 Alaska daylight time, an experimental Harden RV-7, N303BK, collided with terrain about .1 of a mile north of the Elim airport, Elim, Alaska. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were killed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Galena, Alaska, about 1422, with a planned destination of Nome, Alaska. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. Personnel at Galena indicated that the pilot landed and fueled the airplane. They heard him call a friend in Nome, and indicate that he would arrive there between 1600 and 1630. The friend in Nome later reported that the pilot was overdue, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert notice (ALNOT). The wreckage was discovered about 1920 on June 10. Witnesses in Elim reported seeing and/or hearing a plane flying very low over the village, which is at a lower elevation than the airport. One estimated that the airplane was only a few feet above power lines, or about 30 feet above ground level (agl). The airplane flew over the airport and village twice. On the last time, it was heading east, and then turned to the north. They indicated that the engine sound was steady. Several stated that it was very foggy, and the visibility was poor. Investigators found no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of airman records revealed that the 69-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He held a second-class medical certificate issued on September 6, 2007. It had no limitations or waivers. An examination of the pilot's logbook indicated that he had a total flight time of 2,355 hours as of the last entry on May 24, 2009. A notebook located in the wreckage was named N303BK Daily Flight Log. It indicated that the first flight occurred on September 2, 2008. The first three flights totaled 2.0 hours, and a notation indicated that the tachometer was not working. The flight time record was continuous for the remaining flights in the log. The last entry was for 3 hours on June 8, and the total time was 145 hours. Entries in it matched the pilot's flight time logbook. Based on entries from the Daily Flight Log, the pilot had an estimated total time of 2,377 hours. He logged an estimated 52 hours in the last 90 days, and 25 hours in the last 30 days. He had an estimated 149 hours in this airplane. He had a repairman experimental aircraft builder inspector certificate that was limited to this airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was an experimental Bruce D R Harden RV-7, serial number 72753. A review of the airplane's logbooks indicated that it had a total airframe time of 122 hours at the last maintenance entry dated May 27, 2009. The Hobbs hour meter read 147 at the accident site. The engine was a Textron Lycoming IO-320-M1, serial number 1022-SPS. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest official weather observation station was Unalakleet, Alaska (PAUN), which was 58 nautical miles (nm) southeast of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 20 feet mean sea level (msl). An aviation routine weather report (METAR) for PAUN was issued at 1636 ADT. It stated: winds from 250 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; skies 1,800 feet overcast; temperature 8/46 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; dew point 6/32 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; altimeter 30.12 inches of mercury. The FAA maintained weather cameras at Elim and Koyuk. The Elim camera recorded images to the east and south approximately every 10 minutes. The midpoint of the field-of-view arc for the east camera was 099 degrees (true) and 201 degrees for the south camera; the site elevation was 151 feet msl. A reference picture for the south camera noted a windsock less than 1 statute mile (sm) from the camera. A reference picture for the east camera noted the town and an upper tree line that were both less than 1 sm from the camera. A review of the images recorded about the accident time indicated limited visibility in both directions. The south camera had moisture on the lens, and the windsock was not identifiable. On an image to the east, the town and upper tree line were not identifiable. AIRPORT INFORMATION The Airport/ Facility Directory, U. S., indicated that Elim's runway 19 was 3,401 feet long and 60 feet wide. The runway surface was gravel. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The IIC examined the wreckage at the accident scene. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a ground scar that contained blue paint chips. About 10 feet in the direction of the debris field were green lens fragments. The global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates of the FIPC were 64 degrees 38.226 north latitude 162 degrees 14.161 minutes west longitude. The debris path began near the peak of a hill that sloped downhill from west to east. The initial path was uphill on a magnetic heading of 360 degrees, and changed to 020 degrees as the path continued downhill around the peak. The main wreckage came to rest inverted. The engine and firewall separated; they were about 30 feet downhill. The GPS coordinates for the engine were 64 degrees 38.292 north latitude 162 degrees 14.073 minutes west longitude. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Office of the Medical Examiner for the State of Alaska completed an autopsy. The FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot. Analysis of the specimens contained no findings for carbon monoxide or cyanide in blood, and no ethanol detected in urine. The report contained the following findings for tested drugs: amlodipine detected in blood and urine, atenolol detected in blood and urine; terazosin detected in blood and urine. TESTS AND RESEARCH The IIC examined the engine on scene. He removed all spark plugs. The top plugs were automotive type plugs that were connected to an electronic ignition system. The bottom plugs were massive electrode aviation type, and were connected to a magneto. All plugs were clean with no mechanical deformation. Each type's gaps and shapes were similar. The spark plug electrodes were gray, which corresponded to normal operation according to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart. The IIC removed all rocker box covers except for cylinder number three, where the engine mount was deformed. He manually rotated the crankshaft with the propeller. The crankshaft rotated freely, and the valves moved approximately the same amount of lift in firing order. The gears in the accessory case turned freely. He obtained thumb compression on all cylinders in firing order. The IIC manually rotated the magneto, which was installed on the left side of the engine. It produced spark at all posts. The operating levers on the fuel injection unit moved freely and from stop to stop. The control rod on the governor fractured and separated at the eyebolt. The fracture surface was angular, and the rod was bent. The operating lever on the governor moved freely and from stop to stop. Upon removal of the cover of the fuel distribution valve, a fluid leaked out that smelled like aviation fuel. The rubber diaphragm in the valve was unbroken, and the spring functioned without binding. Upon righting the fuselage, fluid leaked out of the fuel selector valve, which was in the left main position. When moved to the off position, fluid flow stopped. The left wing had about 1 inch of fluid left in it. The IIC drained a blue fluid, which smelled like aviation fuel, from the left wing quick drain. The air filter was not contaminated. The two-blade propeller remained attached. Both blades exhibited leading edge gouges, and chordwise striations. Several inches of one tip separated along a jagged angular plane. The other blade's tip curled 180 degrees. No preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane were discovered during the examination. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Unit Investigators found a GPS unit in the wreckage. The National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorders Division downloaded and plotted the data. The GPS recorded two flights on the day of the accident. One was from an un-named grass strip to Galena, and then Galena to Elim. The data listed direction in degrees true, which the Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) converted to magnetic (variation was 14 degrees east at Elim). It displayed time as universal coordinated time, which the IIC converted to ADT. The track was westbound out of Galena, and then turned northwest until reaching a mountain range. It turned southwest and then northwest. It intersected the east side of North Bay; Elim was about 40 miles away on the bay's west side. The track turned north and followed the bay's shoreline past Koyuk Airport. Prior to reaching Elim, the track turned inland in a westbound direction. At a point about 13 miles north-northeast of Elim, it turned to the southwest to a point that was about 13 miles west of Elim. This was followed by a 180-degree turn to the northeast along the same path. The track turned 90 degrees to the south, and then 45 degrees to the southwest toward Elim along a meandering path. About 1630, the data indicated that the airplane was 3/4 mile west of the accident site at 160 mph on a heading of 193 degrees, and descending through 331 feet. About 25 seconds later, the airplane was near the approach end of runway 19 at 169 feet, and heading 160 degrees. The airplane began climbing as it tracked along the east side of the airport. It began a 360-degree turn, and reached a peak altitude of 334 feet at a point over the runway about midfield. It was heading 309 degrees at 121 mph. It began descending, and reached a GPS altitude of 248 feet as it passed the east side of the approach end of runway 19. It was at 136 feet at the east end of town, and descended to its lowest altitude of 128 feet as it continued to the southeast over the water. As the track moved east away from Elim, the altitude began to increase. The track turned to the north and recorded a peak altitude of 695 feet at the last track point, which was near the point of impact. The data indicated a speed of 130 miles per hour, and an approximate heading of 357 degrees at 16:32:26. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) The ELT did not function during the accident sequence or when first responders flipped the airplane back upright. It did activate when recovery personnel cut the wire from the remote operating switch. The ELT passed all functional parameters when examined by the manufacturer.
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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