ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295484
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 July 2003 |
| Time: | 07:59 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hunter T.7A |
| Owner/operator: | Northern Lights Aerobatic Team |
| Registration: | N614XL |
| MSN: | 41H695333 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pittston, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, PA (AVP/KAVP) |
| Burlington International Airport, VT (BTV/KBTV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 22, 2003, at 0859 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Hawker Hunter T Mk. 7A, was destroyed when it struck terrain in Pittston, Pennsylvania, after it departed from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP), Avoca, Pennsylvania. The airplane was owned and operated by Northern Lights Aerobatic Team, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was destined for Burlington International Airport (BTV), Burlington, Vermont, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot of the Hawker Hunter performed three aborted takeoffs in the 4 days that preceded the accident flight. A witness reported that each time, the pilot reported the brakes were dragging. The pilot also reported the engine was running "cool", but was OK. On the fourth attempted takeoff, witnesses reported the engine did not sound as loud as they expected and the airplane appeared slow. At the end of the 7,500 foot runway, the airplane abruptly pitched up, became airborne with wings rocking from side to side, and then disappeared below the level of the runway. The airplane impacted in an open field, below the level of the runway, in a nose high attitude and traveled into a wooded area. The pilot initiated ejection; however, the canopy did not separate from the airplane and the seat went through it. Three of the four canopy locks were found still locked. Water was found in the fuel filter. The airplane had received a replacement engine a month earlier, but was not signed off as airworthy. When the engine was ground run after the change, it was found to not meet two separate acceleration tests. The owner reported the maintenance records were on the airplane; however, none were found, and he never produced any documents to determine the airworthiness of the airplane. The last known annual inspection occurred 13 months prior to the flight. The airplane had been in non-preserved storage for over a year. The owner had de-registered the airplane with the FAA, with the intent of moving it to Canada; however, he had not applied for Canadian registration. After each aborted takeoff, the airplane was worked on by two non-certificated mechanics.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, after the engine experienced a partial power loss for undetermined reasons. Factors were the pilot's improper preflight planning by his failure to determine if the airplane was airworthy, and the operators inadequate maintenance on the airplane, the use of non-certificated mechanics to perform the work on the airplane, and his failure to ensure the airplane met the minimum standards necessary for flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC03FA164
https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=36272
Images:
Photos: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 09:02 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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