Waco Biplane Down at KSBA

Did this attempted turn-back result in a stall?



------------------------------------------

Tour company biplane crashes after takeoff

5/23/05
By MELISSA EVANS


Pilot, two passengers walk away from wreck

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A bright-red biplane that was a familiar sight in Santa Barbara skies
crashed shortly after takeoff from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport on
Sunday afternoon, injuring the pilot and two passengers.

Rescuers had to wade through a marsh to reach the three victims, who
were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. They were listed in fair
condition Sunday and would likely remain at the hospital through
today, a nursing supervisor said.

A manager with Santa Barbara Biplane Tours, the company that owns the
plane, said the pilot was John Clark, a retired commercial pilot who
had 40 years of flying experience. The two passengers were a father
and daughter taking a day trip; their names were not released.

Witnesses said the seven-year-old Waco Super biplane -- modeled after
a 1940s aircraft built under the same name -- began having trouble as
soon as it took off heading south toward UCSB. The engine started
sputtering, and the pilot immediately turned back toward the airport,
said Patrick Price, a manager at a shuttle business near where the
plane went down.

"You could hear the engine," he said. "He got about three-quarters of
the way back around, and then it just took a dive. ... He did a good
job. He did his best."


The plane landed just beyond a marsh that runs between the airport
runway and the bluffs west of Goleta Beach, making rescue efforts a
bit tricky, authorities said. Emergency workers sloshed through
thigh-high water to reach the scene as onlookers near UCSB snapped
pictures of the wreckage from above.

Brookes Regenhardt, office manager for Santa Barbara Biplane Tours,
said the pilot and passengers clambered out of the plane even before
emergency workers responded. An airport worker rushed to the scene
with a fire extinguisher, she said, although the plane didn't burn.

"Fortunately, it didn't catch fire," said John Ahlman, spokesman for
Santa Barbara City Fire Department. "That could have been disastrous."


Airport authorities closed the main runway for about 30 minutes
shortly after the 4 p.m. crash, which caused minor delays for two
Southwest Airlines flights. The smaller runway near where the plane
crashed was closed most of the afternoon to make room for emergency
workers.

The biplane crumpled on impact. The engine flew off when it hit the
ground, and other pieces were strewn along the grassy field.

The company that owned the biplane just opened about a year ago and
employed three pilots, Ms. Regenhardt said. After surveying the
wreckage, she said she is not sure how the company will survive -- it
was their only plane.

"There's a lot of damage," she said.

The company is owned by Alex Soffici, a local doctor, who wanted to
start the business after seeing his first Waco plane two years ago in
Santa Paula. He invested about $100,000 in the biplane, doubling its
value, for high-tech equipment such as video cameras and a satellite
guidance system. The company charges $295 and up for trips over Santa
Barbara beaches and wineries. It takes trips four or five times per
day on weekends and sporadically during the week, workers said.

The plane will likely be removed from the airport today, said Tracy
Lincoln, operations manager at the airport. As with all plane crashes,
the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the
accident. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration are
expected to arrive today to inspect the scene.

The good news, Mr. Lincoln said, is that very little fuel spilled from
the craft, which would have posed a fire danger and an environmental
hazard. Fire officials said a fuel line broke but said there were no
serious hazards.

In all, at least two dozen emergency vehicles responded from the UCSB
Police Department, Santa Barbara city and county fire departments and
other agencies.

This is the second biplane in crash in six months at the airport, but
the earlier incident was less serious. On Dec. 13, the landing gear on
a biplane gave way, causing damage to the wing of the 1920s-style
plane. No one was hurt in that incident.

Larry,

Oh, man, I think the pilot is a friend of mine. I'm trying to find
out.

Do you have any further information?

Warmest regards,
Rick

On 23 May 2005 08:33:58 -0700, wrote in
.com::

Larry,

Oh, man, I think the pilot is a friend of mine. I'm trying to find
out.

Thank goodness everyone was able to walk away. The pilot could have
set it down on Goleta beach, but on Sunday there are always a lot of
beach goers out there.

If the engine had quit completely, the pilot might have been able to
slip to a landing on the remaining runway straight ahead, but the
indefinite nature of reduced power probably caused him to hope he
could take it around and land. I know I would have a difficult time
mentally committing to a crash landing if there were any hope of
avoiding it.

Do you have any further information?

Warmest regards,
Rick


This is all I have additionally:

http://www.faa.gov/avr/aai/iirform.htm

************************************************** ******************************
** Report created 5/23/2005 Record 1
**
************************************************** ******************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 181AS Make/Model: WACO Description: O, E, GXE,
CTO
Date: 05/22/2005 Time: 2254

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Minor Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
City: GOLETA State: CA Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT ON TAKEOFF, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, ON ATTEMPTED LANDING FAILED
TO
REACH THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED THE WEST APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY,
GOLETA,
CA

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 2 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 2
Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0
Unk:

WEATHER: 10CLR WIND 13005KT

OTHER DATA

Departed: SANTA BARBARA, CA Dep Date: 05/22/2005 Dep.
Time: 2253
Destination: SANTA BARBARA, CA Flt Plan: Wx
Briefing:
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance: CLRD TO LAND

FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA (WP01) Entry date:
05/23/2005

Yet another apparent black eye for Part 91 tour operators:

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?e...01X00699&key=1

NTSB Identification: LAX05LA186
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, May 22, 2005 in Santa Barbara, CA
Aircraft: Classic Aircraft Corp Waco YMF-5, registration: N181AS
Injuries: 3 Minor.

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.

On May 22, 2005, at 1554 Pacific daylight time, a Classic Aircraft
Corporation Waco YMF-5, N181AS, lost engine power during the
initial climb and collided with terrain at Santa Barbara,
California. Santa Barbara Biplane Tours operated the airplane as a
local area scenic for-hire flight operating within 25 miles of
Santa Barbara under the provisions of 14CFR Part 91. The airline
transport rated pilot and two passengers all received minor
injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual
meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight had been
filed.

The airplane was departing runway 15L. During the initial climb,
about 175 feet above ground level, the pilot declared a "Mayday"
and attempted to reverse course back to the runway. The airplane
came to rest in a slough next to runway 33L.

The term 'company flight' is new to me. Apparently it's a flight plan
filed internally instead of with FSS. A search turned up 'company
flight plan' he
http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?_a... p=1&.intl=us