Richard A White GLASAIR SH-2 N39RW

Summary

On 9 August 1985 at about 15:25 local time, a Richard A White GLASAIR SH-2 registered N39RW was involved in an accident near Rawlins, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

9 August 1985 at 15:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Rawlins, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.7801, -107.2192

Aircraft

Richard A White GLASAIR SH-2

Registration

N39RW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scottsbluff → Concord Buchana

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN85FTE07

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT CRASHED IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT WITH THE ENG OPERATING AT LOW PWR BY THE SIGNATURES ON THE PROP. THE RADAR PLOT SHOWS THAT THE FLIGHT DESCENDED FROM APRX 15000 FT TO ABOUT 10000 FT IN APRX 1 MINUTE. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND IN A HIGH SPEED HIGH RATE OF DESCENT SPIRAL WHICH CHANGED TO A HIGH SPEED STALL JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT AS NDICATED BY GRND CONTACT MARKS AND WRECKAGE CLUES THERE WAS A BROKEN CLOUD DECK AT APRX 4000 FT AGL. FRIENDS OF THE PLT DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HE WOULD HAVE CONSCIOUSLY CLIMBED TO ABOVE 15000 FT WITHOUT OXYGEN, LEADING TO A CONCLUSION OF PLT INCAPACITATION PRIOR TO THE CLIMB AND CRASH. ATTEMPTED CONTROL INPUTS FROM THE WIFE COULD HAVE ALTERED THE ACFT PERFORMANCE AFTER PIC INCAPACITATION. DUE TO THE ACC TRAUMA NO CONCUSIONS WERE DRAWN FROM THE PLTS NREMAINS DURING ATUOPSY. THE FLT PATTERN IS THE MAIN EVIDENCE OF LACK OF PLT INPUT DURING THE FINAL MINUTES OF FLT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.