Grumman Aircraft Eng C-1A N27PH

Summary

On 15 October 2012 at about 23:57 local time, a Grumman Aircraft Eng C-1A registered N27PH, operated by Fuel Services, LLC, was involved in an accident near Willow, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 October 2012 at 23:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.8336, -150.5606

Aircraft

Grumman Aircraft Eng C-1A

Registration

N27PH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Fuel Services, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wasilla → Nixon Fork Mine

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13FA004

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be determined because the wreckage was not recovered from the accident site.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport-rated pilot was on the first leg of a flight to deliver fuel to a remote mining site. About 30 minutes after departure, a primary radar track, thought to be that of the accident airplane, showed the airplane make a 180-degree turn back toward the point of departure. Two witnesses described hearing the airplane pass overhead, and both said that "the airplane did not sound right." One witness stated that the airplane flew directly overhead of his location under a low ceiling and was going very slow. The airplane was severely damaged by a postimpact fire and explosion. A review of on-scene photographs by an NTSB fire and explosives investigator determined that there was no evidence of an in-flight fire. Analysis of weather in the area around the time of the accident showed that although the ceiling was low, the weather did not play a significant role in the accident. An NTSB on-scene examination of the airframe revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. However, due to the disposition of the wreckage, a detailed examination of the engines could not be accomplished on-scene. The wreckage was not recovered from the accident site. The circumstances leading up to the accident could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.