History of Flight
On July 12, 2008, at approximately 1100 Alaska daylight time, an experimental amphibious float-equipped Iversen Glastar SH-4, registration N212DR, was destroyed when it collided with terrain about 35 miles west of Kenai, Alaska. The private pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight, conducted under visual flight rules as a personal local area flight, departed from a private airstrip near Kenai around 1030. No flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
At about 1110, overflying aircraft spotted burning wreckage, prompting a response from search and rescue personnel and Alaska State Troopers. The pilot maintained a summer residence near Kenai; the passengers were acquaintances from out-of-state.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane ratings, as well as a repairman certificate for the accident airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate, issued March 21, 2008, required glasses for near vision. According to FAA records, the pilot reported approximately 2,710 total flight hours, with 40 hours in the preceding six months. No personal flight records were found.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was built by the pilot from a kit and received an experimental airworthiness certificate on June 26, 1997. Its aluminum tube frame was covered by fiberglass composite forming the fuselage and vertical stabilizer; wings, rudder, and horizontal stabilizer were metal. A 180-horsepower engine was installed. Originally designed with two side-by-side seats, the pilot added a third seat in the cargo area. The third seat, equipped with a seatbelt, could be accessed only from the cockpit. Access to the cargo area via a side door was possible but not large enough for passenger use. The kit manufacturer noted that several builders had individually designed rear seats. No maintenance or build records were located. The airplane received an annual inspection in June 2008.
According to Alaska State Troopers, the pilot weighed 170 pounds, the front seat passenger 185 pounds, and the rear seat passenger 255 pounds. The airplane was equipped with 2200 series amphibious floats; the average empty weight on floats was estimated at 1,500 pounds. The kit manufacturer stated a gross weight of 2,100 pounds on floats. The NTSB IIC calculated the accident weight at approximately 2,110 pounds, excluding fuel.
Meteorological Information
At 1050, the nearest weather reporting facility at Big River Lakes, about 9 miles south-southwest of the accident site, reported calm wind, 40 statute miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 6,000 feet, temperature 55°F, dew point 51°F, and altimeter 30.10 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact
Examination of the wreckage on July 15 revealed a debris path on a magnetic heading of 120 degrees. The first ground disruption was about 60 feet from the point of rest, with a larger 6-foot-diameter area containing broken Plexiglas about 30 feet beyond. The airplane came to rest upright, oriented on a 340-degree heading, with the left wing displaced forward and lying over the left float. The left flap drooped 10–15 degrees; the leading edge of the left wing was crushed aft from midspan to tip. The right wing was displaced aft 45 degrees, with its leading edge crushed and curled upward. Inboard fuel tanks on the left were consumed by fire; the right inboard tank remained intact. The empennage had minor damage; the elevator trim tab was displaced slightly downward. The cockpit, baggage area, and fuselage to the vertical stabilizer were incinerated by postcrash fire. Both floats broke from their attach points and sustained fire damage. Flight control cables were continuous from the cockpit to all controls. The propeller assembly remained attached; one blade was bent aft with leading edge gouging, the other straight with chordwise scratching. The engine had impact and fire damage; crankshaft continuity was established. Spark plugs appeared dry with normal combustion signatures. Carburetor control cables were attached or broken at their arms.
Medical and Pathological Information
A postmortem examination attributed the pilot’s cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological tests detected 0.33 ug/ml of cyanide in the pilot’s blood; no carbon monoxide was found. Ibuprofen was detected in his urine.
Tests and Research
A Garmin 496 GPS unit recovered from the scene was examined by the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Division. The flight track data showed the airplane crossing Cook Inlet westbound, looping around the west shore of Big River Lakes, then flying north toward the accident site. During the final six seconds of recording, the airplane descended from 1,428 feet to 1,155 feet msl; the accident site elevation was about 1,125 feet msl.