Page:CAB Accident Report, Beechcraft C-18-S on 1 September 1959.pdf/4

- 4 - sea ratings. His last physical examination was passed in June 1959, at which time he had a total of 6,500 hours. He did not have an instrument rating.

The last 100-hour and periodic inspection on the aircraft was on March 25, 1959, at which time the aircraft was certificated as airworthy. No further maintenance entries were made in the logbook. However, the logbook reflected flight time on the aircraft through June 30, 1959, and on that date 19 hours had been flown since the previously mentioned 100-hour inspection. Investigation disclosed that the aircraft had made several flights since that date for which no entries had been made. Although certified as airworthy, there was testimony by the service attendant at Kotzebue of signs of considerable oil leakage. Seven and one-half gallons of oil were added at Kotzebue to bring the oil supply to the proper quantity of 16 gallons. The aircraft was equipped with VOR, VHF, ILS, LF/MF, and marker beacon receivers and a VHF transmitter.

It is impossible to relate this accident directly to the mechanical condition, including high oil consumption, of the aircraft. The aircraft was markedly overweight upon departure from Kotzebue. However, the aircraft was under its maximum gross weight of 7,850 pounds by about 450 pounds at the time it crashed inasmuch as it was either completely, or very nearly, out of fuel.

The series of events culminating in the crash of this aircraft cannot be definitely established. Approximately the last three-fourths of an hour of flight was in darkness, over a wild and uninhabited region completely without lights, and under an overcast. There was no ADF in the aircraft as it had been removed for repairs and Priest was therefore limited to using the low—frequency radio ranges. Under these conditions navigation would have had to be by dead reckoning or by reference to low-frequency ranges. Pilot Priest had nearly 2—1/2 hours of fuel upon leaving Tanana for a flight that he estimated would take about 1-1/2 hours. However, he became lost and consumed considerable time and fuel before reaching the general vicinity of McGrath. Based on conservative fuel consumption figures the fuel would have been, or almost exhausted at the time of the accident. After receiving terrain altitude information from McGrath the pilot climbed into the overcast to ensure ground clearance. Shortly thereafter he gave the massage, "At 5,000 feet, in the soup, boy am I really in it. Radar will have to get me down." This message indicates that he had climbed into adverse weather.

Pilot Priest was then in a very dangerous position. Although the record indicates he had some practical experience with instrument flight, he obviously was not able to cope with existing circumstances. Accordingly, the Beechcraft was shortly in a tight, fast, steep spiral from which, because of his limited instrument experience, Priest was unable to recover.

The localized wreckage and its extreme disintegration confirm impact following a fast steep spiral. The very brief fire which followed the crash also suggests that there was little or no fuel left in the Beechcraft's tanks. Inasmuch as all major components of the aircraft were accounted for at the crash site, it is logical to conclude that there was no inflight failure of the aircraft.