Beaver down in Iceland with Canadian connection

[sigi12345]

http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/ ... ane_crash/


RIP Buddy

[bizjets101]

From DHC-2.com


• Crashed 09-Aug-2015 at Barkárdalur valley on Tröllaskagi, west of Akureyri, Iceland. Owner injured and passenger killed.

My sympathy goes to the family and friends of the American ferry pilot, also best wishes to Arngrimur Johannsson for a safe recovery from his injuries.

It is my understanding that this aircraft was bound for Gatineau, Québec, to join the private collection based there. I believe the aircraft encountered a severe downdraft, from which it was unable to recover. Having extra fuel on board did not help the final outcome.

• Destroyed •

From Neil Aird DHC-2.com


Photo Baldaur Sveinsson

[sigi12345]

From DHC-2.com


• Crashed 09-Aug-2015 at Barkárdalur valley on Tröllaskagi, west of Akureyri, Iceland. Owner injured and passenger killed.

My sympathy goes to the family and friends of the American ferry pilot, also best wishes to Arngrimur Johannsson for a safe recovery from his injuries.

It is my understanding that this aircraft was bound for Gatineau, Québec, to join the private collection based there. I believe the aircraft encountered a severe downdraft, from which it was unable to recover. Having extra fuel on board did not help the final outcome.

• Destroyed •

From Neil Aird DHC-2.com


Photo Baldaur Sveinsson

Canadian Ferry Pilot

[Meecka]

It is my understanding that this aircraft was bound for Gatineau, Québec, to join the private collection based there. I believe the aircraft encountered a severe downdraft, from which it was unable to recover. Having extra fuel on board did not help the final outcome.

According to this article, the aircraft was headed back to the states.

http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/man- ... dian-pilot

[North Shore]

Sadly, Maple, it was Grant Wagstaff.

[Apollo]

I only met Grant on a few occasions, but would have loved the chance to fly with him. RIP Grant.

[Donald]

http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/man- ... dian-pilot

RIP

[dune]

Damn. Grant is a good man.

[JungleMonkey]

I just heard about Grant's accident. Sad news. I met him awhile back. Nice guy. RIP...

[North Shore]

http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/timescol ... view=false

[pelmet]

I know an Icelandic guy that flies airliners and GA stuff back home. He was in country at the time and knows the survivor quite well as he was the guy who hired him at Air Atlanta.

Apparently the weather was poor and they were flying in an area where you should not be when the weather is poor. I would assume based on the local knowledge of the Icelandic pilot.

[JCAviation]

Well details get fuzzy the more the story is shared... A series of events forces a controlled crash landing. The Icelandic pilot made it out of the plane; Grant did not. The investigation/ report is complete, it was an accident with no liability on the part of PIC. I know this because we represented the Seller in this sale, most of what is posted here is factually incorrect.

[pelmet]

Well details get fuzzy the more the story is shared... A series of events forces a controlled crash landing. The Icelandic pilot made it out of the plane; Grant did not. The investigation/ report is complete, it was an accident with no liability on the part of PIC. I know this because we represented the Seller in this sale, most of what is posted here is factually incorrect.

This is what I posted.....

I know an Icelandic guy that flies airliners and GA stuff back home. He was in country at the time and knows the survivor quite well as he was the guy who hired him at Air Atlanta.

Apparently the weather was poor and they were flying in an area where you should not be when the weather is poor. I would assume based on the local knowledge of the Icelandic pilot.

Here is what the investigating authority in Iceland has stated....

"Accident involving N610LC (DHC-2 Beaver) in Barkárdalur
The PNF fueled the airplane to an extent that brought the airplane weight far above the maximum allowable takeoff weight of the airplane. This considerably affected the airplane’s performance. The PF was unaware of the amount of fuel in the ferry fuel tank and believed it to be close to empty (about 20 liters), while instead it most likely was between 41% and 77% full of fuel (between 118 and 219 liters).

Barkárdalur, which is a narrow valley, was known to the PF and he had flown through it previously on another airplane type with much higher performance capability.

In the valley of Barkárdalur the pilots were not activily managing the flight or planning ahead and did therefore not observe when the valley floor rapidly rose by 940 ft during the last 1.6 minutes before the accident. This, along with a minor downdraft, effectively nullified any change of their height above terrain during climb.

The airplane most likely incurred serious carburetor icing in Barkárdalur, causing the airplane to lose power.

The combination of the carburetor icing and the rapid rise of the valley floor caused the airplane to be at the valley floor much quicker than the pilots expected.

The PF overestimated the performance capability of the airplane, as he was unaware of the total fuel on the airplane

The PF tried to turn around in Barkárdalur with a bank angle of 30° - 40° and an airspeed of less than 60 mph.

The power required exceeded the power available from the propeller for 40° bank angle at an airspeed of less than 60 mph, due to the airplane’s overweight condition."

http://www.rnsa.is/skyrslur/?slf=1&pn=4 ... tton=Leita

So it looks like the information from my contact in Iceland was factually correct information. The mention of a downdraft in an earlier post by someone else was also confirmed.

Much of Iceland can be particularly hazardous to flying VFR in poor weather. It may also lead to conditions conducive to carb icing. One should be able to deal with carb icing although I have never flown a Beaver.

Marginal VFR flying can be done in certain cases of familiar terrain(not this case). As well, flights in valleys can be done with reasonable caution is some cases, But if very overweight(which can be legal in some cases for ferry flights), it would be prudent to avoid situations where a tight turn(canyon turn) could be a possibility. It appears that they ended up in such a situation.

Give yourself more margins when flying at higher weights(especially when limits are greatly exceeded). An example might be a max of 20 degrees bank and remaining in conditions where there is virtually no chance of condition ever requiring more than 20 degrees bank.

[C.W.E.]

I

know this because we represented the Seller in this sale, most of what is posted here is factually incorrect.

Would you be kind enough to let us know what you believe is incorrect?