N131T

On February 5, 1996, at 0950 hours mountain standard time, a Convair C-131E, N131T, collided with wires at the departure end of runway 14 and crashed in a residential area of Saint Johns, Arizona. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postimpact fire. Both pilots and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Business Air Connection of the Netherlands Antilles as a ferry flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Saint Johns, and was destined for Brownsville, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed.

According to witnesses, the pilot executed a rolling takeoff from the 5,323-foot-long runway. The airplane used the full length of the runway, and did not climb high enough to clear obstacles located below the obstacle free clear zone at the departure end of runway 14. The terrain off the end of the runway slopes down. Witnesses reported the airplane's altitude along the flight path appeared to contour the terrain.

The airplane first struck the top of the airport perimeter fence and a barrier wall for three 10,000 gallon diesel fuel storage tanks. The airplane continued to fly at a low altitude and struck a tree with the right propeller. The airplane then struck residential power transmission wires with the left propeller. The wires became entangled in the airplane's landing gear and were pulled off their poles and dragged through a residential neighborhood to the accident scene.

The airplane eventually struck the ground with the left wing tip and cartwheeled into a horse pasture damaging the pasture fence.

Other Damage

In addition to the damage to the fences, barrier wall, trees, and wires, there was damage to residences. One home was struck by tree branches that penetrated into the interior and another home had minor roof damage from the dragged cables.

The damage to the home that was struck by the penetrating tree branches was limited to the bathroom and living room window. The resident of the home said he was sitting in the living room at the time. He told Safety Board investigators that the tree branches had punched a hole in the bathroom sink, shattered the toilet tank, and cracked the bathtub. There was also water damage in the bathroom as a result of the toilet being shattered.

Crew Information

First Pilot

The first pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate which was issued on April 4, 1979. At the time of the accident the pilot held 18 different type ratings, none of which were for Convair aircraft.

The most recent first-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on December 21, 1995, and contained the limitation that correcting lenses for near vision be worn while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate. The pilot also held an existing non-disqualifying waiver for defective color vision.

No personal flight records were found for the pilot and the aeronautical experience listed in this report was estimated from a review of the airmen FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In addition, information was obtained from a review of letters of authorization held by the pilot.

On February 2, 1996, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Sacramento Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), Sacramento, California, issued the first pilot a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to act as pilot-in-command in lieu of a type rating in Convair C-131E (CV-440), N131T, on a ferry flight from Hollister, California, to Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. The LOA limited operations to day visual flight rules (VFR) with fuel or maintenance stopover points. The LOA specified, " No other person other than the pilot and necessary crew shall be carried." The authorization expired at the completion of the ferry flight, or no later than February 17, 1996.

According to the FAA, "Vintage/surplus military aircraft are those aircraft which are operated solely under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 91 and for which the FAA does not have sufficient qualified inspector staff to conduct either the initial qualifications or proficiency tests required under existing regulations." FAA Order 8700.1 states circumstances may arise that require an aircraft be flown by a pilot who does not hold a type rating for that aircraft. An operations inspector may issue an LOA provided the flight can be accomplished safely.

The order describes to FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors (Operations) the method to determine eligibility of pilot to be issued an LOA. The order indicates regulatory provisions of 14 CFR Part 61.58 (Pilot-in-command proficiency check: Operation of aircraft requiring more than one required pilot), permits a pilot to serve as pilot-in-command provided no persons or property are carried, and the flights are conducted under day VFR conditions.

The FAA operations inspector, who granted the authorization for the first pilot, indicated to the Safety Board that he already knew of the first pilot's qualifications. The operations inspector indicated the first pilot was National Designated Pilot Examiner (NDPER) active in vintage aircraft, that the first pilot held a Letter of Operational Authority for numerous makes and models of high performance piston airplanes, and that the first pilot had been issued three previous authorizations to ferry this specific type aircraft.

On August 29, 1995, the first pilot applied for a LOA to ferry the accident airplane from Tucson, Arizona, to San Luis Obispo, California. The first pilot indicated in his application that he had two previous letters authorizing him to act as pilot-in-command, and had accumulated about 200 hours in various models of twin piston engine Convair aircraft. The FAA subsequently issued the LOA for the ferry flight on August 31, 1995.

The second pilot on the ferry flight from Tucson indicated the flight was flown without incident, except the destination was changed to Hollister, California, because San Luis Obispo was not VFR due to low visibility and fog.

On September 26, 1989, the FAA issued the first pilot a LOA to ferry a Convair 240 from Oakland, California, to Eagles Nest Airport, Ione, California.

On December 27, 1977, the FAA issued the first pilot a LOA to ferry a Convair 240 from Frankfurt, West Germany, to Kingman, Arizona.

Second Pilot

The second pilot held airline transport pilot certificate which was issued on October 20, 1995, with a multiengine airplane rating and commercial privileges for single engine airplanes.

The most recent first-class medical certificate was issued to the second pilot on January 8, 1996, and contained the limitation that correcting lenses be worn while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate.

The second pilot's total aeronautical experience consists of about 1,905 flight hours, of which about 487 were accrued in multiengine airplanes. There were no records found indicating the pilot had flown large aircraft over 12,500 pounds.

Aircraft Information

The airplane, a vintage/surplus military Convair C-131E (Civil Designation Convair 440-72), military serial number 55-4751(Civil serial number 338), was manufactured on July 20, 1956, and was delivered to the United States Air Force (USAF).

The airplane had accumulated a total time in service of 18,715 hours. Examination of copies of the maintenance records filed with the FAA before the accident revealed that the most recent annual inspection was accomplished on January 25, 1996, about 4 flight hours before the accident.

A minimum flight crew of pilot and copilot is required for all operations.

Aircraft Certification and Registration

The airplane remained in the possession of the USAF until January 13, 1994, at which time the USAF Museum Program sold the airplane to the Lan-Dale Company, Reno, Nevada. The Lan-Dale Company ferried the airplane from Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, to Tucson, Arizona.

On August 28, 1995, the Lan-Dale Company, sold the airplane to the second pilot, DBA Business Air Connection N.V., Curacao. A revised lease agreement, dated December 4, 1995, found in the airplane's wreckage indicated the airplane was to be leased to Air Caribbean N.V. Curacao, a Netherlands Antilles Corporation by Business Air Connection. The agreement was to commence after the airplane was delivered to Curacao. The lease agreement specified the aircraft owner/LESSOR shall at its own expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect liability insurance. Another document found in the airplane disclosed the second pilot had contacted an insurance broker and received an estimate. However, there has been no evidence found by the Safety Board indicating that the airplane was insured at the time of the accident.

On October 23, 1995, the second pilot sold the airplane to a United States citizen who listed an address in Sweethome, Oregon. The FAA issued a Certificate of Aircraft Registration to the U.S. citizen on November 17, 1995. The citizen applied for a export certificate of airworthiness on January 22, 1996, and listed Business Air Freight as the purchaser. The address listed for Business Air Freight was the same as the second pilot's address. On January 23, 1996, the U.S. citizen sold the airplane to Business Air Freight.

On January 25, 1996, the FAA San Jose FSDO issued a Standard Airworthiness Certificate for the airplane in the transport category. On January 26, 1996, the San Jose FSDO issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate. The Special Airworthiness Certificate was designated a special flight permit for the purpose of export.

Powerplants

Two Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800-CB16-103 engines were installed in the airframe. The engines are twin row 18 cylinder air cooled radial type with single stage two speed electrically controlled integral superchargers, and equipped with a pressure injection carburetor and a...