N26DK Premier 1A crash Mar 17 2013 South Bend IND

[bizjets101]

Details still unknown but a Premier 1A N26DK crashed on approach to KSBN South Bend Airport (Indiana).
Sketchy reports, 3 persons on board - no details as yet.

Aircraft was a 2008 Premier 1A with less than 300 hours on the airframe. Possibly new owners ??

https://twitter.com/bizjet101/status/313426394296242177

[atpl53]

By WSBT-TV and the South Bend Tribune

6:09 p.m. EDT, March 17, 2013

A small jet has hit at least three homes on Iowa Street, southeast of the South Bend Regional Airport.

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At least three people have been taken to Memorial Hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, according to a hospital spokesperson. Two are in fair condition and one is serious. The person in serious condition is undergoing surgery.

No word on fatalities.

The jet was a Beechcraft Premier 1 with tail number N26DK – out of the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport in Tulsa, OK.

This happened around 4:30 p.m. According to South Bend fire, the plane was 8 miles west of the airport headed to runway 9. It touched down one time then started to climb again and then it crashed.

On approach the pilot reported a problem with electrical power, according to the FAA.

Neighborhood resident Stan Klaybor says the aircraft clipped the top of one house, heavily damaged a second, and came to rest against a third. He says one resident hasn't been seen.

Our reporter on scene says the plane is upside down on a home.

During a news conference, the South Bend fire chief of training said "This is now a rescue effort," but the search is dangerous because of structural damage to the house the plane is lodged inside and the jet fuel.

Crews have to stabilize the home before they can proceed with rescue efforts.

There is a mandatory evacuation because of the jet fuel leak from Keller to Elwood along Iowa until at least tomorrow morning. Firefighters are standing by with foam.

The Red Cross is in the process of opening an evacuation shelter at the South Bend Firefighter's Union Hall on Lincoln Way West between Knoblock Street and Maplewood Avenue.

Calls to Great Lakes Region FAA public relations prompts the following recording:

"This is the Federal Aviation Information with all the information we have Sunday afternoon about an aircraft accident we have near South Bend, Indiana. This is a Hawker Beechcraft Premier jet that was on approach to South Bend. It had departed Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lloyd Jones Airport near Tulsa earlier today. Unknown number of people on board but on approach the pilot reported a problem with electrical power, made several attempts to approach and then on the final attempt to approach it stalled and crashed into at least one home.

The local search and rescue can give you more information about the number of people on board and the injuries involved. N26DK is the tail number of the aircraft. You can look up that number on our website at FAA.gov for the registration but we caution you that the owner is not necessarily the pilot. Again, that's all the information we have at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate. The National Transportation safety board may also investigate. These investigations may take several weeks or more before they are completed."

The Tribune and WSBT-TV are on the scene and will have more updates as soon as they're available.

[bizjets101]

[bizjets101]

21:40 update;

Aircraft owned by Wes Caves owner of DigiCut Systems of Tulsa, was on board.

Two Crew and two passengers on board the Premier 1A, two reported fatal, two reported to have survived with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

On the ground, unconfirmed as two persons killed, and one person with non life threatening injuries.

[cdnpilot77]

In a bit of irony, DigiCuts legal company name is '7700 Enterprises LLC'

Another tragic loss of a Premier I and more importantly the lives that have been taken. Hoping for a speedy recovery to the injured and condolences to the families.

[bizjets101]

7700 East 38th Street Tulsa, OK 74145 is the company address in Tulsa,
and the aircraft was registered for tax reasons to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC
(Limited Liability Corporation)

I agree with your take on the Irony of the 7700!!

[bizjets101]

Update March 18 15:00 EST.

Confirmed killed in the crash, Wes Caves (age 58) who was the CEO of Digicut Systems of Tulsa - and the aircraft owner. He was also at the controls when it crashed.

2nd fatal - was long time friend of Wes's - who owned a twin prop aircraft, but was not type rated on Premier 1A's but was asked to come along as co-pilot.

3 other persons are in hospital, one serious, two fair condition. 2 are passengers 1 from 2nd house hit.

No mention of anyone else killed or hurt on the ground - other than young boy who was not transported to hospital but made it out of one of the houses.

[bizjets101]

Click Here N26DK crash was caught on CCTV security camera.

From Pilot witness;

I was waiting to taxi when SBN tower told us they were working an emergency. Unfortunately, I saw the whole thing. They attempted to land, looked like they were going to land about 3/4 of the way down the runway and went around. Started a slight right turn, nose pitched up,steep turn to the right, very nose high then rolled on its back. Spun twice inverted rolled back over and hit the ground. I didn't see any smoke. CFR at SBN took off immediately.
What a horrible sight to see. God bless them and their families. Amazed that there were survivors.

[bizjets101]

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA196
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, March 17, 2013 in South Bend, IN
Aircraft: Hawker Beechcraft Corporation 390, registration: N26DK
Injuries: 2 Fatal,3 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On March 17, 2013, at 1623 eastern daylight time, a Hawker Beechcraft model 390 (Premier IA) business jet, N26DK, serial number RB-226, collided with three residential structures and terrain following an aborted landing attempt on runway 9R located at the South Bend Regional Airport (KSBN), South Bend, Indiana. The private pilot and pilot-rated-passenger occupying the cockpit seats were fatally injured. An additional two passengers and one individual on the ground sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana, LLC and operated by Digicut Systems of Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 while on an instrument flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight that departed Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (KRVS), Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 1358 central daylight time.

According to preliminary air traffic control information, at 1610:31, the accident pilot established radio communications with South Bend Approach Control while at 11,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The air traffic controller cleared the flight direct to KNUTE intersection and told the pilot to expect a visual approach to runway 9R. At 1611:44, the flight was cleared to descend to 10,000 feet msl. At 1613:06, the flight was cleared to 3,000 feet msl. At 1615:00, the approach controller told the pilot to make a 5-degree left turn to align with runway 9R and asked the pilot to report when he had the airport in sight. At 1615:07, the pilot declared an emergency because of a lack of engine power, reporting that they were "dead stick" and without any power. About 23 seconds later, at 1615:30, the pilot transmitted "we've lost all power, and we have no hydraulics." When the controller asked if the airplane remained controllable, the pilot replied "ah, barely controllable." The controller advised that all runways at KSBN were available for landing and issued the current winds, which were 130-degrees at 10 knots. At 1615:22, the pilot transmitted that the airplane’s navigational systems were inoperative and requested a radar vector toward the airport. The controller replied that the airport was 9 miles directly ahead of the airplane’s current position. At 1616:12, the controller told the pilot to turn 10-degrees left to intersect runway 9R. At 1616:15, the pilot replied "26DK, turning left." No additional voice communications were received from the accident airplane. The approach controller continued to transmit radar vectors toward runway 9R without any response from the accident pilot. At 1618:58, the approach controller told the accident airplane to go-around because the main landing gear was not extended. (The tower controller had informed the approach controller that only the nose landing gear was extended) The accident airplane was then observed to climb and enter a right traffic pattern for runway 9R. The airplane made another landing approach to runway 9R with only the nose landing gear extended. Several witnesses observed the airplane bounce several times on the runway before it ultimately entered a climbing right turn. The airplane was then observed to enter a nose low descent into a nearby residential community.

[kevinsky18]

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA196
. . . At 1615:07, the pilot declared an emergency because of a lack of engine power, reporting that they were "dead stick" and without any power.

. . . The accident airplane was then observed to climb and enter a right traffic pattern for runway 9R.

. . . The airplane made another landing approach to runway 9R with only the nose landing gear extended.

. . . Several witnesses observed the airplane bounce several times on the runway before it ultimately entered a climbing right turn. The airplane was then observed to enter a nose low descent into a nearby residential community.

So something isn't sounding right. The pilot reports "lack of engine power" and "dead stick" and "without any power". but then they have enough power to make three approaches to the runway. . .

[robbreid]

Between bankruptcy and crashes the price of Premier 1A's have dropped from 6 million to 2 million!! Currently low time aircraft for sale from 2.1 mil. Amazing buy . . . hoping someone continues the line.

Here is a shot of Hawkers currently in storage while Beechcraft mulls over offers to by the Hawker and Beechjet lines.



As for N26DK other than fuel starvation, I've no idea what was going on ???? They have the CVR, an unburned aircraft, and two persons on board survived - so in time - we should have a full understanding of what went wrong, and why - . . .

[linecrew]

Why on earth would a controller tell them to go around when they've stated that they have engine power issues...?!