Buesing SX-300 accident near Sitka, AK
On March 7, 1997, a Buesing SX-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sitka, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 7, 1997
- Place
- Sitka, AK
- Aircraft
- Buesing SX-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 56.729°N, 134.999°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07467
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 7, 1997, about 1411 Alaska standard time, the pilot of an experimental homebuilt Buesing SX-300 airplane, N357SX, declared an emergency and ditched in the ocean about 5 miles south of Sitka, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross-country personal flight to Soldotna, Alaska, when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot, and the sole passenger received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An IFR flight plan was filed. The accident flight originated at the Ketchikan International airport, Ketchikan, Alaska, at 1310. At 1211, the pilot obtained a weather briefing at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Ketchikan Flight Service Station (FSS), as part of his continuing flight from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Soldotna, Alaska. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan with the intended route from Ketchikan as; Annette VOR, Victor Airway 311 to the Biorka VOR, Victor 440 to the Yakutat VOR, Victor 319 to the Johnstone Point VOR, then direct to Soldotna. After departure from Ketchikan, the pilot contacted the FAA's Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The airplane climbed to 14,000 feet mean sea level (msl), and proceeded along Victor 311 toward the northwest. At 1406:00, the pilot declared an emergency by stating: "Ah center, this is experimental 7SX, I got ah loss of power on the engine, I need to land." The pilot was initially given a clearance to the Sitka Airport via the LDA/DME approac
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to properly evaluate the presence of icing conditions, and his failure to comply with procedures to use alternate engine air in icing conditions. Factors relating to the accident were: icing (weather) conditions, the pilot's improper application of emergency procedures to maximize available glide distance, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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Browse: Alaska
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
