Short Brothers SD-360-300 N3735W
5 February 2006 · Watertown, Wisconsin, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 February 2006 at about 22:54 local time, a Short Brothers SD-360-300 registered N3735W was involved in an accident near Watertown, Wisconsin, United States. 6 people were on board and 3 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:54
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Watertown, Wisconsin, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.1803, -88.8331
- Aircraft
- Short Brothers SD-360-300
- Registration
- N3735W
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Milwaukee → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- CHI06FA077
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Probable cause
The flight crew failed to maintain clearance from another aircraft as they turned to break formation flight while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the decision of both flight crews to fly in formation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Prior to departure, both flight crews decided that they would join-up while in flight to take video and still pictures of each airplane. Both aircraft were Shorts Brothers SD-360-300 turboprop airplanes. While flying in formation, N3735W announced over the radio that they would turn right, toward N372AC, and descend. During the turn, N3735W's left wing impacted the left wing and engine of N372AC. After the collision, N372AC rolled to the left and pitched down significantly before the flight crew regained control of the airplane. After the collision, N372AC was losing hydraulic fluid and eventually had a complete hydraulic system failure. The airplane made an emergency landing at a nearby airport with its flaps retracted and its landing gear partially extended. The airplane overran the end of the runway, coming to rest about 100 feet from the departure threshold. White paint transfer markings and scrapes were observed on the left wing deice boot, the outboard side of the left engine cowling was crushed inboard, the left wing-strut leading edge was torn open and bent, and the lower fuselage skin, immediately forward of the landing gear wheel wells and stub wing, was torn from left to right, consistent with a propeller strike. N3735W impacted terrain and the airplane was destroyed during a subsequent ground fire. The flight crew and passenger were killed. The outboard three-quarters of the left wing was separated from the main wreckage and was not fire damaged. The upper wing surface had linear scrapes diagonally across the wing skin. The left aileron from N3735W was found on the runway where N372AC had landed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Brothers SD-360-300 | N3735W | - | Destroyed |
| Short Brothers SD-360-300 | N372AC | - | Substantial |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 2006 | Aviat A-1B | Minocqua, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2006 | Croke ZENITH CH 701 | Brussels, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2006 | Piper PA-18-150 | Minong, Wisconsin, United States | Thomas A Holdeman | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2006 | Shaw EUROPA XS | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 May 2006 | Stys T-BIRD SPORT | West Bend, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jan 2006 | Cessna 560 | Woodruff, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |