Airpac Navajo crashes in the Cascades

[Hogan]

NTSB report won't be out until at least 7/20 (takes 10 days average for the report to be filed after the accident). Final report won't be out for many month. Takes 18 months on average.
A memorial fund for the pilots family was created at Bank of America to help them with funeral costs. It's called the Dierks Memorial Fund.

 

[Hand Commander]

Very sad. Just got word of the incident from a former employer. Very bizarre circumstances. This is a good company with good people. Hate to see another one go in at all, let alone, less than a year later. Godspeed.

 

[EatSleepFly]

RIP.

Used to see/chat with those guys every morning on one of my old runs. They're a good bunch of guys, hate to see this happen again. Be careful out there.

 

[icefr8dawg]

"Emery said he had radioed that he was having difficulty maintaining altitude and was diverting to the airstrip in Easton. "

Pretty much sums up why he didn't make the field. 2000' grass field is no prob for any model Navajo.

Nice guys, I believe they are out of the little FBo at bfi correct?

 

[freightomatic]

"Emery said he had radioed that he was having difficulty maintaining altitude and was diverting to the airstrip in Easton. "

Pretty much sums up why he didn't make the field. 2000' grass field is no prob for any model Navajo.

Nice guys, I believe they are out of the little FBo at bfi correct?

Yep, out of the small terminal building.

But why would he go to Easton when there was a nicer paved 3000'(?) strip right behind him at Cle elum? I'm thinking he must have been really desperate to go for Easton. Maybe he thought we could cross the Cascades and make it home with the power he had, but then maybe it got worse for him, so he decided to "put it down.?" I'm really itching to find out what the NTSB finds out with the plane... I'm thinking he must have had contaminated fuel... maybe just water, but something seriously messed up. A Navajo flies just fine on one engine... I cant imagine an experiensed pilot not feathering ONE bad engine and farting around and losing alitude... Both engines had to have had problems. Thoughts?

 

[imacdog]

Thoughts?

Yeah, be careful out there guys. Let's hope this never happens to us and that the NTSB can learn something from this to help prevent it in the future. I enjoyed my time as a 135 freight pilot but the risks are always there.

 

[Hogan]

ntsb report is out

NTSB Identification: SEA06FA139
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Monday, July 10, 2006 in Easton, WA
Aircraft: Piper PA-31-350, registration: N40ST
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On July 10, 2006, approximately 1735 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N40ST, impacted a tree about one-half mile east of Easton State Airport, Easton, Washington. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, received fatal injuries, and the aircraft, which was being operated by AirPac Airlines, was destroyed by the impact and the post-crash fire. The 14 CFR Part 135 air cargo flight, which departed Spokane International Airport, Spokane, Washington, at 1620, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. There was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the controller at Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center, the pilot was in cruise flight at 8,000 feet above sea level, when he reported that he did not have enough power to maintain his assigned altitude, and soon thereafter stated that he did not have enough power to make it over the Cascade Mountains. The aircraft then began to descend, and the pilot transmitted that he was going to go to Easton. About five minutes after he advised Center about his power problems, the aircraft was seen turning from a left base to final for runway 27 at Easton. When the aircraft was about one-half mile from the end of the runway, it impacted a conifer tree about 20 feet from its top, and descended into the terrain. After impacting the terrain, the wreckage erupted into intense flames.