L39 Albatros Crashes and Burns in AK Trailer Park, Pilot Ejected...

[FN FAL]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3613149.html

The aircraft was a Czech-made Albatros L39 two-seat training jet owned by a Las Vegas company, Wilkinson said. The plane left Sitka and was bound for the lower 48 states. No flight plan had been filed.

Searchers found the pilot's body across a ravine from the crash. No one else was aboard the plane, Wilkinson said.

Several witnesses saw the pilot eject from the plane at treetop level with his parachute partly deployed, Wilkinson said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating.
Two FBI agents also planned to go to the crash site, said agent Bob Burnham. "It's a combat aircraft and we have some questions about that," he said.

 

[jeroom]

Looks like the pilot ejected a little too late.

 

[AA717driver]

Shoulda bought the 'zero-zero' option...

The FBI has "some questions" because "it's a combat aircraft". You mean like the 100 others that are operating in civilian hands? Way to go Sherlock. I'll sleep better tonight.

Psssst... Hey! I know where you can actually find some of those Russky MiG's! TC

 

[Gorilla]

Bless him. The ejection decision is one of the most heavily reinforced decisions in military jet training there is. In the Air Force, it's <10,000' and out of control, pull the handles, no exceptions, no delays. Way too many guys over the decades have lost their lives trying to save the airplane, and ultimately ejecting too late and out of the envelope.

This brings up a question I've always had... are private high-performance ex-military jets normally maintained with a functional ejection system? The reason this intrigues me is that ejection/egress is a highly specialized and labor-intensive form of maintenance. You are dealing with rockets, parachutes, and explosive belts and seat kickers. Probably requires a dangerous or hazardous materials license just to maintain the spares for the seat in your hangar.

 

[FN FAL]

Shoulda bought the 'zero-zero' option...

The FBI has "some questions" because "it's a combat aircraft". You mean like the 100 others that are operating in civilian hands? Way to go Sherlock. I'll sleep better tonight.

Psssst... Hey! I know where you can actually find some of those Russky MiG's! TC

It's a combat "style" aircraft!

Cessna markets their lowly C-208 in a military "style" configuration. The military uses corporate type jets to "combat" the "war on drugs". Airliners were used effectively by religious people in "combat" against Americans.

I guess it's all in how you want to market "hysteria".

I don't blame the FBI for going up there to check it out, but you'd think that the agent would have phrased his statement better.

 

[Pugh]

Call me ignorant but what exactly does the FBI have to do with it? Can't you just buy an L39 off of Ebay?

 

[Spooky 1]

Bless him. The ejection decision is one of the most heavily reinforced decisions in military jet training there is. In the Air Force, it's <10,000' and out of control, pull the handles, no exceptions, no delays. Way too many guys over the decades have lost their lives trying to save the airplane, and ultimately ejecting too late and out of the envelope.

This brings up a question I've always had... are private high-performance ex-military jets normally maintained with a functional ejection system? The reason this intrigues me is that ejection/egress is a highly specialized and labor-intensive form of maintenance. You are dealing with rockets, parachutes, and explosive belts and seat kickers. Probably requires a dangerous or hazardous materials license just to maintain the spares for the seat in your hangar.

You are correct on all the above. The materials are the big issue and yes it is very, very expensive to maintain these systems, so some people just ignore it and hope for the best!

 

[blzr]

i bet Al Kider has a few of them jets.

 

[RockyMnt1]

The L-39 that I flew had current/active ejection seats. There is a company that specializes in maintaining these seats and, yes, it is expensive.

 

[Ill Mitch]

It's a combat "style" aircraft!

Cessna markets their lowly C-208 in a military "style" configuration. The military uses corporate type jets to "combat" the "war on drugs". Airliners were used effectively by religious people in "combat" against Americans.

I guess it's all in how you want to market "hysteria".

I don't blame the FBI for going up there to check it out, but you'd think that the agent would have phrased his statement better.

Well true, it is more of a trainer than anything else, but there are combat variants flying out there in some military forces.
The one that happened to crash wasn't one of them, tho.

 

[FN FAL]

Well true, it is more of a trainer than anything else, but there are combat variants flying out there in some military forces.
The one that happened to crash wasn't one of them, tho.

It would be bad for war bird collectors if this did turn out to be a "black sunday" scenario gone bad.

 

[MaxTorque]

There is a lot more to this incident than meets the eye. It will likely come out in time. The news reported the pilot asked ATC for nav help - so it sounds like a "nearest airport" call went out. Part of the seat is still active so that is impeding the recovery.

MT

 

[Say Again Over]

Didn't some airline owner die in the L39 a few years ago? Does anyone know what company in Vegas bought the airplane?

 

[big pimpn']

http://www.prideaircraft.com/forsale.htm

Billionaires buy former military jets such as the L39 every day, mostly to fly for fun. I can’t believe that’s top secret information to the FBI.

 

[Brownshoe]

Does the L-39 have airframe anti-ice/deice capability?


http://www.sitnews.us/0106news/012606/012606_crash_ketchikan.html
********************************************************************************
** Report created 1/26/2006 Record 1 **
********************************************************************************
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 104XX Make/Model: L39 Description: L-39/139 Albatross
Date: 01/25/2006 Time: 2150
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: KETCHIKAN State: AK Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT ON ATTEMPED LANDING, CRASHED INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE ONE PERSON
ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURIED, KETCHIKAN, AK
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 PAVT 252153Z 33014KT 4SM -SN BR SCT004 BKN012 OVC023 A2933
OTHER DATA
Departed: SITKA, AK Dep Date: 01/25/2006 Dep. Time: 2047
Destination: Flt Plan: Wx Briefing: Y
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance: FAA FSDO: JUNEAU, AK (AL05) Entry date: 01/26/2006

 

[agpilot34]

Don't believe the L-39 has anti-ice/deice capability as far as I know.

 

[MaxTorque]

The news is onto some of the conflict associated with this whole deal now. There was a deal for 4 planes that were shipped up to Alaska. A dispute developed over the assembly and airworthyness followed by an altercation between the buyer & seller, then 2 of the planes were "repoed" or stolen depending on your point of view - that may be one of the reasons the FBI is involved.

MT

 

[A Squared]

Didn't some airline owner die in the L39 a few years ago?

Yeah. Michael Chowdry of Atlas died in an L-39 crash.

 

[FN FAL]

Yeah. Michael Chowdry of Atlas died in an L-39 crash.

Wasn't that one of those, "hey, watch this!" kind of deals, with a 16 year-old female passenger on board?

 

[A Squared]

Wasn't that one of those, "hey, watch this!" kind of deals, with a 16 year-old female passenger on board?

I think you may be thinking of a different crash. There was some rich guy who was a Northern lights (demo team that used to fly l-39's) wannabe. He had his plane painted to match the Northern lights team planes. He crashed doing inverted manuvers at low altitude with a young female passenger. Seems like that was in Louisianna