Steve Fosset NTSB Report

Jeff Higgins · 07-13-2009, 05:25 AM

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20081007X17184&key=1

NTSB Identification: SEA07FA277
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 03, 2007 in Mammoth Lakes, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/9/2009 1:39:00 PM
Aircraft: Bellanca 8KCAB-180, registration: N240R
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

The pilot departed from a private airport at Flying M Ranch on a local personal flight, which ground personnel thought would last about 2.5 to 3 hours. When the airplane failed to return, it was reported missing and a search was started. No emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received from the airplane. The Civil Air Patrol suspended its search activities after about 1 month. About 1 year later, a hiker found some of the pilot’s personal effects, and an aerial search located the airplane wreckage about 0.5 mile from the personal effects. The accident occurred in remote mountainous terrain at an elevation of 10,000 feet. After the wreckage was discovered, a review of radar data from September 3, 2007, revealed a track that ended about 1 mile northwest of the accident site. This 20-minute track showed the airplane flying south along the crest of a mountain range with elevations greater than 13,000 feet.

During the search efforts, aircraft had flown over the accident location but did not see the wreckage. Additionally, the 20-minute track had been ruled out as the accident flight due to a witness report of seeing the airplane near Yerington at the time of the track. The witness reported the time of his sighting based on a telephone call with a friend. The search team initially used the time provided by the witness. Later, it was determined from the telephone company’s time log that the witness-reported time was off by 1 hour.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane was on a northerly heading at impact, indicating that the pilot had executed a 180-degree turn after radar contact was lost. Ground scars and distribution of the heavily fragmented wreckage indicated that the airplane was traveling at a high speed when it impacted in a right wing low, near level pitch attitude. A postimpact fire consumed the fuselage, with the exception of its steel frame. The wings were fragmented into numerous pieces. The ELT was destroyed. Damage signatures on the propeller blades and the engine crankshaft indicated that the engine was operating at impact. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.

Visual meteorological conditions existed in the accident area at the time of the accident. Mean winds at 10,000 feet were from 220 degrees at 15 to 20 knots; some gusts of 25 to 30 knots may have occurred. Moderate turbulence and downdrafts of at least 400 feet per minute probably occurred at the time and in the area of the accident. The magnitude of the downdrafts likely exceeded the climb capability of the airplane, which, at a density altitude of 13,000 feet, was about 300 feet per minute.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot’s inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane. Contributing to the accident were the downdrafts, high density altitude, and mountainous terrain.

J-P · 07-13-2009, 05:54 AM

I keep hearing and reading things about, "personal effects", "aircraft wreckage", etc., but I have yet to read anything about any of his remains being found.

Anybody hear of anything?

legion · 07-13-2009, 06:03 AM

The story I heard was that some bone fragments had been found, but not much.

Jeff Higgins · 07-13-2009, 06:17 AM

Too many scavengers given too much time for there to be much in the way of human remains left at this point.

onewhippedpuppy · 07-13-2009, 06:19 AM

Just goes to show that even the best pilots can make mistakes. Godspeed to a true American hero.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Black bear and mountain lion chow.

I've done a lot of flights into/out of KMMH. It's a dangerous area on the best of days. In summer, density altitude at the airport is regularly over 10,000'. And the wind is always a direct 90-degree crosswind out of the south. The turbulence up there (and all the way down the Owens Valley) can be gut-churning anytime the wind blowing across the Sierra Nevada gets over 20 knots. As you go further south of the town and airport the prevailing winds tend to shift to more westerly.

There are an awful lot of remote areas up there. I'm certain there are parts of those mountains that have never even seen human footsteps. It's a very bad place to wreck. If the crash didn't kill him, the exposure probably would have before too long (nights can get very cold, even in summer). Lots of bears and coyotes and stuff up there too.

Basic mountain flying - expect downdrafts on the leeward side of mountains and ridges when winds blow across the top. I think he just found out too late. Very sad.

ossiblue · 07-13-2009, 07:33 AM

Saw a program that followed the discovery of the "personal effects" in which it mentioned finding a few scattered remains a short distance away from the wreckage. Conclusion was scavengers had removed most of them.

The intriguing part of the program was that the pilot's harness was unbuckled! Now understand, this is a five point harness that can only be unfastened by first turning the buckle and then depressing it with the butt of the hand--something only the pilot could have done. Did he unfasten the harness prior to forced landing (unlikely) or did he survive the crash (and subsequent fire) and succumb during an attempt to walk out?

dad911 · 07-13-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Just goes to show that even the best pilots can make mistakes. Godspeed to a true American hero.

Pilot error or Heart Attack/stroke/???

onewhippedpuppy · 07-13-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ossiblue

Saw a program that followed the discovery of the "personal effects" in which it mentioned finding a few scattered remains a short distance away from the wreckage. Conclusion was scavengers had removed most of them.

The intriguing part of the program was that the pilot's harness was unbuckled! Now understand, this is a five point harness that can only be unfastened by first turning the buckle and then depressing it with the butt of the hand--something only the pilot could have done. Did he unfasten the harness prior to forced landing (unlikely) or did he survive the crash (and subsequent fire) and succumb during an attempt to walk out?

Odd, considering that he nearly always wore a watch with an ELT.

Dantilla · 07-13-2009, 08:47 AM

No remains were found inside the airplane. My unintelligent, worthless guess is that he survived the crash, and managed to exit the aircraft before succumbing to injuries or elements.

tcar · 07-13-2009, 09:37 AM

Many think that he crawled out of the wreck and (probably) crawled to near the trail where the first items were found.

T77911S · 07-13-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ossiblue

Saw a program that followed the discovery of the "personal effects" in which it mentioned finding a few scattered remains a short distance away from the wreckage. Conclusion was scavengers had removed most of them.

The intriguing part of the program was that the pilot's harness was unbuckled! Now understand, this is a five point harness that can only be unfastened by first turning the buckle and then depressing it with the butt of the hand--something only the pilot could have done. Did he unfasten the harness prior to forced landing (unlikely) or did he survive the crash (and subsequent fire) and succumb during an attempt to walk out?

I saw the same show. very interesting. my question was, was he wearing the seatbelt?
i also thought one thought was he could have survived and crawled away before dieing.
heart attack was another thought.

pwd72s · 07-13-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Too many scavengers given too much time for there to be much in the way of human remains left at this point.

People underestimate the eating ability of coyotes. I once downed a deer across a canyon...quite an up & down hike to get to him. My buddy and I arrived, decided to quarter the deer and make two trips to get him out. We field dressed, quartered, and skinned the deer, wrapped all up. Darkness falling, we decided to return the next morning with packboards. We arrived early the next day...nothing left but scattered bones.

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

I agree with P-O-P, having done a little mountain flying myself. I bet he got caught flying too close to the leeward side of the range and experienced pretty strong turbulence and down drafts. I try to do my flying in the mountains early in the morning or very late afternoon when the winds are light. Or during the day when they are light. No daytime flying when the winds aloft are 20 kts or greater. I have been caught on a couple of occaisions in moderate winds - it is rougher than a cob. Suffice it to say, I would not want to be close to the ground on the leeward side of a mountain range.

Tim Hancock · 07-13-2009, 10:56 AM

Hey Scott,

Are you going to be at Oshkosh this year? I am heading up Saturday the 25th in the Pacer and returning home the 29th or 30th.

t6dpilot · t6dpilot's Garage

Tim,
I may try to do that this year. I have not been since '06 and need to get some aviation immersion. Probably won't take the 'six since it is not in annual right now. May motor up in the Twin Beech. I'll PM you if I plan to do that (b4 you depart of course).