Iversen GLASTAR SH-4 N212DR

Summary

On 12 July 2008 at about 19:00 local time, a Iversen GLASTAR SH-4 registered N212DR, operated by Thomas M. Iversen, was involved in an accident near Kenai, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 2008 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kenai, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.8783, -152.0817

Aircraft

Iversen GLASTAR SH-4

Registration

N212DR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas M. Iversen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kenai → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08FA087

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during maneuvering flight, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent to the ground. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's overgross weight condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a local personal flight in an amphibious, float-equipped experimental airplane with two passengers. About 40 minutes after takeoff, the burning wreckage of the airplane was spotted by overflying aircraft. The airplane was built by the pilot from a kit, and was designed by the kit manufacturer to have two side-by-side seats in the cockpit. A large cargo area was behind the two front seats. According to a neighbor, the accident airplane was equipped with a third seat, designed and built by the pilot. The third seat was installed in the cargo area and was designed to fold up for use, and was equipped with a seat belt. The only passenger access to the third seat would have been from the cockpit. The kit manufacturer indicated that several builders have designed and built a third seat in the cargo compartment area of their respective airplanes. These seats had been individually designed, as there were no after-market or third-party suppliers of rear seats for the airplane. No maintenance records or construction build records were located for the airplane. No weight and balance data for the airplane was located. According to the manufacturer, the airplane's gross weight was 2,100 pounds if equipped with floats. A calculation of the airplane's estimated weight done by the Safety Board's Investigator-In-Charge, came to an estimated 2,110 pounds without any inclusion of fuel, which indicated that the airplane was overgross at the time of the accident. The airplane appeared to have collided with the ground in a left-wing- and nose-low attitude, an indication of an aerodynamic stall. The airplane was destroyed by a postcrash fire. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were found during an examination of the wreckage. An examination of data from a GPS receiver found at the crash site revealed that just prior to the accident the airplane was in a descending left turn, having lost 273 feet in the last 6 seconds before impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.