N112AX

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 21, 2010, about 2345 Alaska standard time, a twin-engine turboprop Beech 1900C airplane, N112AX, sustained substantial damage when it crashed in the ocean shortly after takeoff from Runway 31 at the Sand Point Airport, Sand Point, Alaska. The airplane was operated as Flight 22, by Alaska Central Express, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, as an on-demand cargo flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. The airline transport certificated captain and the commercial certificated first officer sustained fatal injuries. Dark night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage. The accident flight was the crew’s last flight of the day. They had originally departed Anchorage about 1830, and made stops in Aniak, Bethel, and Cold Bay, Alaska, before arriving at Sand Point.

A postaccident review of the radio communication recordings maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the captain contacted the Anchorage air route traffic control center (ARTCC) about 2336 to request an IFR clearance for the flight from Sand Point to Anchorage. His request was granted, and he was instructed to contact ARTCC after departure from Sand Point. According to the ARTCC specialist on duty, no further radio communications were received from the accident airplane.

During on-scene interviews by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on January 27, 2010, two witnesses who were standing outside a home along the shoreline about 1 mile north of the Sand Point Airport, reported hearing what they believed was the accident airplane as it departed. Both witnesses reported that as the airplane’s takeoff progressed, the engine noise suddenly changed, followed by a very loud sound of impact and then silence. One of the witnesses said that just before hearing the impact, he momentarily saw the lights of the airplane descend into the ocean. The witnesses called 911 to report the accident. Both witnesses said that wind at the time was very strong out of the north, estimated between 50 and 60 knots.

The U.S. Coast Guard's Air Station Kodiak was notified that an airplane had crashed in the water just north of the departure end of Runway 31. The Coast Guard initiated an emergency response and dispatched an HH-60J rescue helicopter from Air Station Kodiak, which is about 303 miles northeast of Sand Point. Volunteer search personnel located floating debris, including the first officer’s flight bag, in the area north of the airport but found no survivors.

On January 24, 2010, recovery personnel located the submerged airplane wreckage in about 45 feet of water, about 1 mile north of the departure end of Runway 31. The bodies of both pilots were recovered.

Cargo / Fuel Loading

During an interview with the NTSB IIC on January 25, 2010, the shipping agent and fuel vendor for Alaska Central Express in Sand Point reported that when the accident airplane arrived, the captain requested 140 gallons of fuel. The fuel vendor said that while he was adding 70 gallons of fuel to each main fuel tank, the pilots, assisted by the fuel vendor's brother, loaded 52 boxes of cod milt aboard the airplane. The fuel vendor noted that after he fueled the airplane, he watched the pilots and his brother finish loading the last of the boxes, but that neither he nor his brother noted where the pilots distributed the boxes within the airplane.

The fuel vendor said that when the loading was complete, the pilots boarded the airplane and started both engines. He reported that in most cases, departing airplanes begin taxiing to the runway very soon after the engines are started but that this airplane remained on the ramp for 6 or 8 minutes, which he described as "very unusual." He said that just as he started walking towards the airplane to investigate, the airplane began to taxi toward the runway. The fuel vendor said that once the airplane began to taxi, he left the airport.

CREW INFORMATION

Captain

The captain, age 28, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating, and held commercial pilot privileges with an airplane single-engine land rating. He also held a type rating for Beech 1900 airplanes and a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent first-class medical certificate was issued July 24, 2009, and contained no limitations.

In the three days prior to the accident, on January 18, the captain's duty day started at 1100 and ended at 1600, and he flew 3.1 hours. On January 19, his duty day started at 1230 and ended at 2100, and he flew 6.1 hours. On January 20, his duty day started at 1330 and ended at 2130, and he flew 5.7 hours. On the day of the accident, January 21, his duty day started about 1730, and he flew about 6.0 hours before the accident.

According to the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the operator, the captain's total flight time was 3,700 hours, of which 3,080 were in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent airman competency/proficiency check (14 CFR 135.293) check ride was on May 31, 2009. A company check airman administered the check ride.

According to the operator, the captain was hired by the company on August 26, 2007, and at that time, his total flight experience was 670 hours. He completed his initial company training, including Beech 1900 second-in-command (SIC) ground and flight training, on August 28, 2007, and was assigned to fly as second-in-command of Beech 1900 airplanes at the company base in Anchorage. On June 17, 2008, he was upgraded to captain of Beech 1900 airplanes.

First Officer

The first officer, age 23, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. Her most recent second-class medical certificate was issued May 4, 2009, and contained no limitations.

In the three days prior to the accident, the first officer was off duty on January 18. On January 19, her duty day started at 1430 and ended at 2230, and she flew 5.5 hours. On January 20, her duty day started at 1230 and ended at 2230, and she flew 6.5 hours. On the accident date of January 21, her duty day started about 1730, and she flew about 6.0 hours before the accident.

According to the NTSB Form 6120.1 submitted by the operator, the first officer's total flight time was about 1,000 hours, of which 280 were in the accident airplane make and model. Her most recent airman competency/proficiency check (14 CFR 135.293) check ride was in the accident airplane on September 7, 2009. A company check airman administered the check ride.

According to the operator, the first officer was hired by the company on August 24, 2009, and at that time, her total flight experience was 720 hours. She completed her initial company training, including Beech 1900 SIC pilot ground and flight training, on September 7, 2009, and was assigned to fly Beech 1900 airplanes at the company's base in Anchorage.

Company Information

The operator is a 14 CFR Part 135 air carrier and holds on-demand operations specifications. It has facilities at Anchorage and serves various communities throughout the Aleutian Islands and western, southwestern, and southeast Alaska. The president, chief pilot, director of maintenance, and chief inspector all reside in Anchorage.

A review of the company's FAA-approved operations manual revealed that the director of maintenance, director of operations, chief pilot, and the chief inspector are designated as having the authority of exercising operational control over company aircraft and/or flight crews.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a pressurized, twin-engine turboprop equipped with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65B engines that produce 1,100 horsepower each. Each engine was outfitted with a Hartzell HC-B4MP-3A four-bladed propeller with composite blades.

The airplane did not have, and was not required to have, a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. The airplane was equipped for instrument flight into known icing conditions and may be operated by a single pilot.

The airplane was maintained on a continuous airworthiness maintenance program (CAMP). The CAMP is divided into phase inspections, each consisting of six event cycles that are 200 hours apart. A complete inspection cycle is 1,200 hours or 24 months.

Examination of the maintenance records revealed that CAMP event number five inspection was accomplished on January 18, 2010, about 37.6 hours before the accident. The airplane had a total time in service of 56,184.4 flight hours. The left engine had a total time of 45,158.0 flight hours, 6,257.5 flight hours since overhaul, and the right engine had a total time of 49,552.2 flight hours, 7,500.6 flight hours since overhaul. The left propeller had 1,537.1 flight hours since overhaul, and the right propeller had 2,236.4 flight hours since overhaul.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The closest official weather observation station is at the Sand Point Airport. At 2356, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported, in part: Wind from 330 degrees (true) at 19 knots with gusts to 26 knots; visibility, 8 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 2,000 feet broken, 2,800 feet overcast; temperature, 23 degrees F; dew point, 18 degrees F; altimeter, 29.91 inHg.

Residents of Sand Point reported that winds are consistently stronger to the north of the Sand Point Airport, which was generally the direction that the accident flight would have flown.

COMMUNICATIONS

There were no reports of communications with the flight after the airplane departed Sand Point.

AERODROME AND GROUND FACILITIES

The Sand Point Airport is equipped with a single, hard-surfaced runway on a...