Warbird Information Exchange

Here is the article from the Scranton Times.
Online at:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 6046&rfi=6

NTSB: Vintage plane not airworthy at time of crash
By Rich Mates TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER 05/07/2004


A new report by the National Transportation Safety Board into the July 22 Pittston Township fatal crash of a vintage British fighter jet says the aircraft had not been certified as airworthy following an engine change.

Thomas Benton Delashaw, 67, a world-renowned former fighter pilot from Conroe, Texas, died aboard the 1957 Hawker Hunter T MK 7 as he attempted a forced landing in an open field off Suscon Road, 1 miles from the runway to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.


The nine-page report outlines the findings of the NTSB investigator, but does not list a cause. The NTSB will use this report and other evidence to prepare a final report, which will include the official cause of the accident.

The report released Thursday notes that about a week before the crash, the Hawker's Avon 122 Rolls-Royce engine was swapped for another engine of the same type.

"According to the licensed A&P (Aircraft and Propulsion) mechanic who oversaw and supervised the engine change, he did not sign off any maintenance records to return the airplane to an airworthy status," the NTSB report stated. The engine failed two tests, according to the mechanic, whose name was not released by the NTSB.

The latest NTSB report states that Mr. Delashaw, who was ferrying the plane for the Northern Lights Aerobatics Team of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, had three aborted takeoffs before the failed flight.

While not identifying him, the report notes that an assistant airport director warned Mr. Delashaw there was little RSA (Runway Safety Area) and a "substantial drop off" at the end of the runway if it were to be overshot during a takeoff.

"His (Mr. Delashaw's) response was that he would worry about flying the aircraft, or 'I'll fly the aircraft ...' and I should worry about airport matters," the assistant director reportedly told the NTSB.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's assistant airport director is Wy A. Gowell, a retired Air Force colonel, pilot, and an air crash reconstruction expert. Mr. Gowell declined to comment on the report.

In the report, Robert L. Hancock, the NTSB investigator, noted that federal regulations say the pilot is the final authority on making a flight.

The full report can be found here. Look under July 22nd.
I think it contains some rather alarming details...
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/AccList.asp?month=6&year=2003

This is very sad...

I know the owners of Northern Lights, and I find it very surprising that they operated this way....

I would have put the Hunter on a truck and drove it to Québec City....

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

The NTSB findings are out...

From this news paper article
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 5154&rfi=6

11/02/2004
Findings blame several factors in fatal plane crash
By Rich Mates , Times-Shamrock News Writer

A variety of factors caused a vintage British fighter plane to crash off Suscon Road in Pittston Township last year, according to National Transportation Safety Board "probable cause" findings.
The July 22, 2003, crash killed Thomas Benton Delashaw, a world-renowned former fighter pilot from Conroe, Texas. He was transporting the aircraft to Burlington, Vt., for Northern Lights Combat Air Support, Montreal, Canada.

Advertisement


Delashaw attempted a forced landing in an open field about a mile from the airport after the 1957 Hawker Hunter T MK 7 sputtered during takeoff from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pittston Township.

The NTSB said water was found in the plane's fuel filter, but it could not determine the cause for the engine's apparent loss of power. It also cited the pilot's failure to abort a takeoff when the engine lost power, poor preflight preparation and the failure to use certified mechanics.

Delashaw, 66, had aborted three previous takeoff attempts in the days before the crash because the plane's brakes were dragging, the NTSB report said. On the fourth takeoff attempt, the NTSB report said, "(W)itnesses reported the engine did not sound as loud as they expected and the airplane appeared slow."

When the plane took off from the 7,500 foot runway, it disappeared from sight, with its wings rocking from side to side. The crash site is below the level of the runway.

Delashaw's attempt to eject from the airplane sent him crashing through the Plexiglas canopy when three of the four locks holding the canopy on failed to disengage.

About a week before the crash, the Hawker's Rolls-Royce Avon 122 engine was swapped for another engine of the same type. The replacement engine failed two separate acceleration tests and was "not signed off as airworthy," the NTSB report said.

NTSB said the Hawker was kept in "non-preserved storage" for more than a year, had not passed an annual inspection for some 13 months and the plane was deregistered with the Federal Aviation Administration and had not been registered in Canada with Transport Canada.

A Transport Canada spokesman in Quebec had not seen the NTSB report.

The report said two "noncertified mechanics" from Northern Lights had worked on the airplane at the airport. No documents or maintenance logs indicating it was airworthy were produced. The owner said they were in the airplane, but were not found in the wreckage.

Northern Lights personnel said they had not seen the NTSB report and had no comment at this time.

Ollie,

How many hawker Hunters do the Northern Lights have in their fleet?

Andrew

Eight Northern Lights Hunters are shown in this photo taken September 2004

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php? ... 8af0f1cd24

Transport Canada shows 8 Hunters registered to them!

Cool shot Alan, thanks for sharing!

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

ALL RIGHT, KNOCK IT OFF

I don't want this to degenerate into a flame war so be civil, if not I will lock the thread.

_________________
Scott Rose
Editor-In-Chief/Webmaster
Warbirds Resource Group - Warbird Information Exchange - Warbird Registry

Be civil, be polite, be nice.... or be elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------
This site is brought to you with the support of members like you. If you find this site to be of value to you,
consider supporting this forum and the Warbirds Resource Group with a VOLUNTARY subscription
For as little as $2/month you can help ($2 x 12 = $24/year, less than most magazine subscriptions)
So If you like it here, and want to see it grow, consider helping out.



Thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the site. We really do appreciate it.

Follow us on Twitter! @WIXHQ

OOOO-boy Scott..you have your work cut out for you! The 1st snow is
not on the ground, and you already have "cabin fever" setting in....
At least this winter we can count on warming ourselves 'round the "Bonfire of the Vanities"!

Donner Party Stew Cook-off and Commemorative Fly-in...yeah...that's
the ticket...yeah!!

2 go in, one comes out....dinner at 8!!!

Yes I do don't I

_________________
Scott Rose
Editor-In-Chief/Webmaster
Warbirds Resource Group - Warbird Information Exchange - Warbird Registry

Be civil, be polite, be nice.... or be elsewhere.
-------------------------------------------------------
This site is brought to you with the support of members like you. If you find this site to be of value to you,
consider supporting this forum and the Warbirds Resource Group with a VOLUNTARY subscription
For as little as $2/month you can help ($2 x 12 = $24/year, less than most magazine subscriptions)
So If you like it here, and want to see it grow, consider helping out.



Thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the site. We really do appreciate it.

Follow us on Twitter! @WIXHQ

I don't the "Rob Stew" I don't know where he has been and I really don't want too.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

The operation of the Hawker Hunter in the USA is a cause for concern.The sistership to the T.7 , F.6A XE587 was extensively damaged the year before when the brakes and tail chute failed to operate. The soundness of the design isn't a problem - XE587 was spun during a demonstration thirteeen times by Bill Bedford over Switzerland.
A friend of mine had serious concerns about the T.7 - the investigation used a lot of his expertise. Overall these are military aircraft
that need to be maintained to that standard.

What happened to the people in the chase plane ?? there is a plane crash ( a fresh one ), the owner of the wreck was in the chase plane, and he just left and flew away.
have I got that right??
Steve

Those guys are in Québec City operating the 8 aformentionned Hunters.

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

An FAA airworthiness inspector reported that after the Navajo landed, he approached the occupants and asked who they were. After identifying themselves, he then asked if they owned the Hawker Hunter that just crashed, and the owner said yes he did. He then asked that individual if he knew where the maintenance records were for the airplane, and the owner reported that they were on the crashed airplane. The FAA inspector further reported that he asked the owner if he could remain in the area until the FAA had a chance to interview him, and he replied that he would.

The FAA inspectors then traveled to the accident site and were there about 1 to 2 hours. Upon returning to the airport, the Navajo, along with the owner and the two other people had departed.

Here is the ntsb report it makes it sound like the 3 persons in the navajo
1 being the owner (who didn't have the paperwork to fly the plane),and 2 unlicensed mechanics ( who had just worked on a fatal accident ) left the scene of the accident with out even retrieving their friends body or making statements.