Grumman HU-16C N7025J

Summary

On 26 September 1998 at about 16:45 local time, a Grumman HU-16C registered N7025J was involved in an accident near Sedona, Arizona, United States. 6 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 September 1998 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Sedona, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Sedona (SEZ)

Coordinates

34.9396, -111.9400

Aircraft

Grumman HU-16C

Registration

N7025J

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flagstaff → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA313

Nobody was injured.

The pilot in command's selection of the wrong runway for the prevailing wind conditions, and the second pilot's inadequate compensation for the winds. Factors in the accident were the second pilot's lack of experience in the aircraft and the pilot-in-command's inadequate supervision of the flight. Additional factors were the variable and gusty, cross wind and tail wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot/owner seated in the right seat was type rated in the airplane. The second pilot in the left seat manipulating the flight controls, held an ATP and flight instructor certificates, but was not type rated in the airplane. The second pilot had a total of 1.9 hours in the airplane. Both pilots stated that they selected runway 3 for landing based on weather reports and that other airplanes were using that runway. During landing rollout, propeller reverse power was selected and the left engine came in before the right engine, which caused the airplane to veer left, and braking was used to correct the heading. The propellers were brought out of reverse and the airplane continued to exit the left side of the runway and collapsed the nose gear. The manager of the FBO said they were advising runway 21 as the active runway. The pilot of another airplane said that he had just landed on runway 21 and that there were two other airplanes in the traffic pattern for runway 21 when the accident airplane landed on runway 3. He stated that winds were 130 degrees at 14 knots and the conditions in the pattern were turbulent. The pilot noted that after he landed the wind kept shifting direction from a southeasterly to northeasterly heading. No mechanical anomalies were found during an examination of the propeller reverse system or the braking system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.