Aviat A-1B N20HY

Summary

On 31 August 2010 at about 05:34 local time, a Aviat A-1B registered N20HY, operated by National Park Service, was involved in an accident near Bettles Field, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

31 August 2010 at 05:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Bettles Field, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

67.3439, -151.2211

Aircraft

Aviat A-1B

Registration

N20HY

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

National Park Service

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coldfoot → Bettles Field

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10TA080

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable off-airport landing site for a precautionary landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during the flight he observed smoke in the cockpit and smelled burning oil. He noted a rise in oil temperature, followed by a decrease in oil pressure, and an unusual vibration in the floorboards, control stick, and rudder. He elected to make a precautionary landing on a sandbar. He reported that on short final to the sandbar, he turned the fuel and electrical systems off, and that the propeller was windmilling. While landing, the left wingtip hit brush and the airplane veered to the left, at which point the right wingtip struck the ground. The airplane then nosed down and the propeller struck the sandbar. A postaccident examination revealed that the engine oil was at a normal level and did not smell burned; no evidence of leaks were found. The engine was removed from the airplane and successfully run on an engine test stand with no mechanical anomalies or leaks noted. An examination of the propeller showed aft bending and torsional twisting, with multiple leading edge gouges and chordwise scratching, consistent with the propeller being under power and striking the ground multiple times during the landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.