Sun, Apr 26, 2009
Two Aboard Safe In Ditching Near Shore
ANN is monitoring the details of a Friday afternoon accident in
which an Epic LT Experimental Turboprop lost power at a reported
altitude of 8000 feet and subsequently executed a forced landing in
the Columbia River, near Astoria, Oregon.
The incident occurred at approximately 1640 local time and
appears to have been a well-controlled affair. While the aircraft
started sinking pretty swiftly, local Coast Guard and Law
Enforcement efforts recovered both people on board and got them to
medical attention. Both are reported to be in good condition and
expected to recover from their injuries, completely.
Epic LT SN #25, registered as N653SB was enroute to KBFI (Boeing
Field Intl) from KAST (Astoria Rgnl) when the aircraft flamed out,
ditching in the river some 50 yards out from Astoria's 17th Street
Pier. The rescue was conducted by Guard cutters Fir and Steadfast,
which are both based in Astoria, while the Coast Guard Station at
Cape Disappointment, WA, supplemented the effort with additional
small boat crews. The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office also had a
boat on the scene.Early reports indicate that there were minor
injuries to the pilot and his passenger, the former Mayor of
Astoria and the Pilot's Mother Edith Henningsgaard. Bill
Henningsgaard was reported as Pilot In Command and had been flying
the aircraft barely six months when the bird went down.
The Epic LT is normally configured for six seats and uses a
single Pratt & Whitney PT6-67A for power. The LT's empty weight
is 4200 lbs., the max take-off weight is 7329 lbs. and the
aircraft has a full fuel payload of 1,200 lbs. Maximum cruise is
quoted at 350 KTAS, and the Economy cruise is 289 KTAS. The
pressurized aircraft's design service ceiling is 28,000 ft. The LT
is an experimental design, relying on a company builder service
center approach to see the very complex aircraft through to
completion. This approach has come under scrutiny by the FAA in
recent years and is specified as one of the reasons that the FAA
pursued a review of the "51%" Amateur-Built-Experimental criteria
for homebuilt aircraft.
Local news reports indicate that the Pilot is a retired
Microsoft engineer while Ms. Henningsgaard was Astoria's Mayor from
1983 to 1990. The aircraft is registered to Ellumax Leasing LLC, of
Medina, Washington and was placed on the civil registry December
1st of 2008. The aircraft has reportedly been flying well and
recently boasted a flight in which the pilot reported an enroute
ground speed of 516.35 mph on a run from Boeing Field to Bend,
Oregon.
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