Anyone have more info?

[othello]

SPOKANE – A twin-engine cargo plane crashed in the Spokane Valley around 8:15 a.m. Saturday, killing the pilot, the FAA regional office said.

Significant damage and flames were reported at the scene, but the fire was soon extinguished.

The AM Flight Czek Hauler crashed one mile away from Felts Field airport on final approach, at the 5900 block of Lehman, in a remote area north of town.

There were no other people on board.

Heavy fog may have been a factor in the crash, as there was only about a quarter-mile visibility. The pilot reportedly radioed in to report problems.

It's not known yet where the plane originated from or the identity of the pilot.

More details will follow as they become available.

 

[WrightAvia]

Plane Crash in Washington Kills Pilot

By Associated Press

November 29, 2003, 7:58 PM EST

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A small cargo plane in heavy fog crashed on its approach to an airstrip Saturday morning, killing the pilot.

No one else was on board, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Don Walker said. There were no reports of injuries on the ground.

The AmeriFlight SW3 Merlin went down about a mile from Felts Field in a remote area north of Spokane, Walker said. Visibility was a quarter of a mile at the time, he added.

A witness reported hearing the plane strike trees before it crashed in a gully, the Spokane County Sheriff's Department said. Debris was scattered over about six acres when deputies and firefighters arrived.

The pilot radioed the airport moments before the crash, but he "never indicated that he was having any kind of problem," FAA spokesman Mike O'Connor told the Spokesman-Review of Spokane.

Investigators with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were at the scene Saturday.

The sheriff's department said the pilot was from western Washington, but did not say which city. Burbank, Calif.-based AmeriFlight Inc. issued a statement saying the pilot's name was being withheld until relatives were notified.

A United Parcel Service spokesman at the scene said Ameriflight is a contract cargo carrier for UPS. The twin turboprop had taken off from Seattle.

 

[WrightAvia]

here is a link to a web site that has archived metar data for the day.

http://nimbo.wrh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/Missoula/msoobs?site=KSFF&type=01

In the event that that data is overwriten by fresh data for the next reporting period, I scrolled and pasted that days weather here...it appears that HEAVY FOG as reported by the media, so doesn't exist.


date/time/tmp/dew/rh/wind/wnd mph/barom uncor/vis mi/ weather/clouds/in settg
-------------- --- --- --- -------- --- ----- ------ ----- ---------- -------------------- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ---- -----
29 05:33pm PST 45 43 93 SW 13 27.887 10.00 BKN013 BKN027 OVC200 0.01 29.93
29 04:53pm PST 46 43 89 SW 7 29.93 27.868 10.00 SCT021 BKN027 BKN200 29.91
29 04:00pm PST 45 43 93 CALM 27.849 10.00 SCT021 BKN027 BKN200 29.89
29 03:53pm PST 43 42 97 CALM 29.91 27.849 10.00 SCT013 SCT029 OVC200 47 43 29.89
29 02:53pm PST 47 43 86 SW 8 29.90 27.839 10.00 SCT013 BKN031 OVC200 29.88
29 01:53pm PST 47 44 90 SW 9 29.89 27.839 10.00 BKN013 OVC019 29.88
29 12:53pm PST 47 43 86 SW 9 29.91 27.858 10.00 BKN013 OVC019 29.90
29 12:00pm PST 46 43 87 W 7 27.839 10.00 OVC011 29.88
29 11:53am PST 46 43 89 SW 7 29.88 27.830 10.00 OVC009 29.87
29 10:53am PST 45 43 93 SW 8 29.89 27.830 10.00 OVC009 29.87
29 09:53am PST 44 43 96 W 8 29.89 27.839 10.00 OVC006 44 39 29.88
29 08:53am PST 44 42 93 VRB 3 29.88 27.821 10.00 OVC008 29.86
29 08:27am PST 43 43 100 W 3 27.811 10.00 OVC006 29.85
29 07:53am PST 43 42 97 W 6 29.85 27.792 10.00 OVC004 29.83
29 07:25am PST 43 43 100 VRB 3 27.783 7.00 OVC002 29.82
29 06:53am PST 40 39 97 CALM 29.85 27.783 9.00 OVC004 29.82
29 05:53am PST 42 41 96 CALM 29.84 27.783 10.00 OVC006 29.82
29 04:53am PST 42 40 92 CALM 29.83 27.773 10.00 OVC008 29.81
29 03:53am PST 41 40 96 SW 7 29.83 27.764 10.00 OVC008 43 39 0.15 0.27 29.80
29 03:26am PST 41 39 93 SW 6 27.764 10.00 OVC008 29.80
29 02:53am PST 41 39 93 SW 8 29.83 27.773 10.00 OVC010 29.81
29 01:53am PST 41 39 93 VRB 3 29.84 27.783 10.00 OVC010 T 29.82
29 01:05am PST 39 37 93 VRB 5 27.792 9.00 -RA BKN014 OVC025 T 29.83
29 12:53am PST 40 38 93 VRB 5 29.85 27.792 10.00 -RA SCT013 BKN019 OVC025 0.03 0.15 29.83
29 12:30am PST 39 37 93 SW 8 27.802 9.00 -RA SCT018 BKN024 OVC030 0.03 29.84
28 11:53pm PST 41 38 89 SW 10G23 29.85 27.792 7.00 RA SCT027 BKN033 OVC041 45 30 0.08 29.83
28 10:53pm PST 41 37 86 SW 10G18 29.85 27.792 8.00 RA OVC027 0.04 29.83
28 10:27pm PST 41 37 87 SW 12G17 27.792 8.00 RA OVC029 0.02 29.83
28 10:19pm PST 41 37 87 SW 12 27.792 8.00 -RA OVC031 0.01 29.83

 

[flybtp]

Anyone know the N number?

 

[WrightAvia]

Here is some more news, now they are saying the vis was a 1/4 mile and the pilot never transmitted any problems...

I don't know where they got that info, unless the archived metar data was based on what is transmitted to the feds on the hour and as specials, as opposed to what was being transmitted by awos or atis.

Here is the latest...

Plane Crash in Washington Kills Pilot

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A small cargo plane in heavy fog crashed on its approach to an airstrip Saturday morning, killing the pilot.

No one else was on board, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Don Walker said. There were no reports of injuries on the ground.

The AmeriFlight SW3 Merlin went down about a mile from Felts Field in a remote area north of Spokane, Walker said. Visibility was a quarter of a mile at the time, he added.

A witness reported hearing the plane strike trees before it crashed in a gully, the Spokane County Sheriff's Department said. Debris was scattered over about six acres when deputies and firefighters arrived.

The pilot radioed the airport moments before the crash, but he "never indicated that he was having any kind of problem," FAA spokesman Mike O'Connor told the Spokesman-Review of Spokane.

Investigators with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were at the scene Saturday.

The sheriff's department said the pilot was from western Washington, but did not say which city. Burbank, Calif.-based AmeriFlight Inc. issued a statement saying the pilot's name was being withheld until relatives were notified.

A United Parcel Service spokesman at the scene said Ameriflight is a contract cargo carrier for UPS. The twin turboprop had taken off from Seattle.

Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

[Peckerwood]

The visibility was 1/8-3/4sm in the 1500z hour this morning around Spokane. Both GEG and SKA had periods of RVR below 2000 although the lowest CIG or VIS that were reported for SFF was OVC002 with 7sm visibility at 1525z.

 

[340drvr]

dammit! Another one of "us" gone. Gotta stop doing this!

Thoughts and condolences to friends and family.

 

[WrightAvia]

dammit! Another one of "us" gone. Gotta stop doing this!

Thoughts and condolences to friends and family.

I hear you bro. Freight is a great job. I'm glad I'm flying single pilot in my NERF plane, as opposed to those merlins our competitor uses. They look...rode hard and put away wet.

 

[traffic pilot]

What is a NERF airplane?

 

[WrightAvia]

Never
Ever
Really
Flies

 

[WrightAvia]

Crash Investigation Underway in Spokane Valley




Investigators were on the scene of a cargo plane crash all day Sunday. The Twin Turbo-Prop Metroliner went down in the Spokane Valley at a little after eight Saturday morning killing the pilot.
It could take up to six months to determine a cause. On Sunday, National Transportation Safety Board Investigators along with the FAA surveyed the scene before snow or other weather could destroy it. They looked at the timberline to see where the downed aircraft struck trees and mechanical cables were reviewed to look for any problems. So far, investigators say there does not appear to be any mechanical problems - though a detailed inspection of the plane's wreckage could turn up some kind of mechanical failure.

The scorched shattered remains of the aircraft were removed from the hillside. An investigator says each key part will be stored locally for the months of work that still lie ahead. Maintenance records for the plane will be reviewed this week, and so will weather reports. Investigators say they want to get as much information as possible about Saturday's thick fog.

"I may want to have witnesses that were up in the area, they may not have seen the aircraft, but know what the weather was," said Steve McCreary.

Investigators say visibility at Felts Field was quite good Saturday morning, but that hillside where the plane crashed did have poor visibility conditions. A report with preliminary findings on the crash should be out later this week.

 

[CMH Floater]

********************************************************************************
** Report created 12/1/2003 Record 1 **
********************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 439AF Make/Model: SW3 Description: SA-226TB, SA-227TT Merlin 3
Date: 11/20/2003 Time: 1606

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
City: SPOKANE VALLEY State: WA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AMERIFLIGHT AMF1996, N439AF, A FAIRCHILD SWEARINGEN SW-3 AIRCRAFT CRASHED
INTO TREES A MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE ON ILS APPROACH, ONE PERSON ON
BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, SPOKANE VALLEY, WA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: METAR KSFF 291553Z 25005KT 10SM OVC004 06/06 A2983



OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Approach Operation: Air Taxi (On Demand)

Departed: BOEING FIELD SEATTLE Dep Date: 11/29/2003 Dep. Time: 1507
Destination: SPOKANE, WA Flt Plan: IFR Wx Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: LOCAL CONTROL
Last Clearance: LOW ALTITUDE ALERT

FAA FSDO: SPOKANE, WA (NM13) Entry date: 12/01/2003

 

[everyonedoa360]

Anyone know who the pilot was?

 

[SpiffAV8]

Being new to this I posted my reply as a new thread. Look at the thread "Merlin" if your interested.

 

[WrightAvia]

Pilot of crashed plane identified

The pilot who died in a cargo plane crash in the Spokane Valley over the weekend was identified Tuesday as Thomas A. Richert of Kent.
The 32-year-old pilot died when the airplane crashed east of Felts Field early Saturday.

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office says dental records were used to confirm the victim's identity. No one else was on the plane.

The Federal Aviation Authority and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash

 

[KigAir]

We had a Merlin crash here at CRG Thanksgiving morning. In about the identical weather conditions. The pilot, who was killed, was a Doctor from TX. The other 4 passengers, all survied, were his childern.

 

[100-1/2]

SFF used to station a weather observer back in the late 80's early 90's. Don't know if one was(is still) there that time of the day to eyeball the W and advise the pilot on the approach. Shame, if not. Sure could have helped with an eyeball on the weather from the ground.
Pilot reported in News outlets as Thomas Richert. I knew him as "Tom" from years ago and he was a great guy and will be sorely missed. I don't recall him being the type to blow off approach mins. Ameriflight just ain't worth it. People/things change and it's all Still preliminary info. The last time I flew into Felts, there was an fbo pumping avgas from a toyota pickup and an ILS was a wet dream. Crashing short of the runway on a precision approach looks to side the FAA against Tom void of navigational or mechanical failure findings.

Moment of reflection for all Single Pilot Operations. Be safe out there.

100-1/2

 

[WrightAvia]

We had a Merlin crash here at CRG Thanksgiving morning. In about the identical weather conditions. The pilot, who was killed, was a Doctor from TX. The other 4 passengers, all survied, were his childern.

Thanks for the post. Thank goodness there were survivors.

How are things at CRG otherwise? I went to the 141 school that used to based there called Shields Aviation. Were you around then?

 

[everyonedoa360]

SFF used to station a weather observer back in the late 80's early 90's. Don't know if one was(is still) there that time of the day to eyeball the W and advise the pilot on the approach. Shame, if not. Sure could have helped with an eyeball on the weather from the ground.

There is both a tower and an ILS at SFF now. As well, an FAA FSDO. It's been that way for sometime.

 

[SpiffAV8]

knew him as "Tom" from years ago and he was a great guy and will be sorely missed. I don't recall him being the type to blow off approach mins. Ameriflight just ain't worth it. People/things change and it's all Still preliminary info. The last time I flew into Felts, there was an fbo pumping avgas from a toyota pickup and an ILS was a wet dream. Crashing short of the runway on a precision approach looks to side the FAA against Tom void of navigational or mechanical failure findings.

I did a training flight with Tom and your right; his isn't the type to blow things off. Tom was the ACP at BFI and had tons of Metro time.

The number 1 NAV in Toms AC was inop and that could have been a huge factor. In most of the Metros I fly, the number 2 NAV is hidden behind the yoke and hard to see regardless of seat position. He could have been looking over at the co-pilots side but presents challenges to. By no means am I saying that was the cause or that he may have made a bad decision to use it. Rather that it would be a major challenge to shoot an approach that way.

Ameriflight does do a lot of flying and often the pilots are pushing a tight schedule or trying to make up time. Flying the Metro single pilot is a challenge at times, especially when things are not working right. I have to wonder what Tom’s duty time was. Many of the ACPs work long hours and then end up flying a run. We all know what it’s like to shoot an approach at the end of a long day. In my days at Ameriflight there have never been any repercussions for refusing an aircraft or for being too tired to fly (as long as you have done things right). I would have to disagree with your comment of “Ameriflight just ain’t worth it”. I think they provide a great opportunity. I know that there are always individuals within that push the limits of man and machine. All too often the pilot is the bottom line and it is up to that individual to do what is right.

 

[de727ups]

KSFF

The initial reports of low vis were probably from the crash site...not the airport. It's not unusual for GEG and SKA to have low vis in fog but for KSFF to be much better. The ILS/DME at KSFF has mins of 3/4 mile and get's you down to 270 AGL. The LOC only mins get you down to 907 AGL and require 1 and 1/4 mile vis. TDZE is 1953 MSL.

Would the number two nav on the Metro in question have DME and GS capability since the number one was inop?

The news reports stated that the crash was near Lehman road. The terrain where he hit is about 2380 MSL, which would only give him about 500 AGL if he hustled down to LOC minimums after the FAF (assuming a LOC only approach). In fact, I'd dare to say he hit about where you would expect if a guy didn't stop at the MDA on a non-precision approach....he was on or darn close to the LOC centerline.

Anyhow...not to speculate but we know how fast things happen on an approach and the importance of not missing (stopping at) your MDA. Single pilot Metro has got to be a handful, even in the best situation.....

I live about three miles from the crash site and can nearly see where it would be out my window. Was out of country, working, when the crash happened, though. Since I'm a pilot for UPS and wasn't answering my phone....several friends thought I might have been the guy....

 

[flybtp]

All of the Metros I flew at AMF had full dual GS and DME receivers, but still, a cross cockpit ILS is no fun. Tom was a good guy and will be missed.

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

Tom Richert was our Assistant Chief Pilot at BFI, he was well liked and respected by his management and fellow pilots.

He will be missed.