Instructor, Student Perish In NC Accident
It had to happen sooner
or later, but we were all hoping for "later."
What appears to be the first fatal mishap of a certified Special
Light Sport Aircraft occurred Sunday night in North Carolina,
claiming the lives of two prominent local pilots.
The instructor, Robert J. Swanson, 62, of Southport, NC, was
president of the local EAA chapter, an uncommon Life Member of the
sport aviation organization and a recipient of its President's
Award (1996). He was also a Young Eagles volunteer, and had flown
at least 2,209 Young Eagles (children and youth being introduced to
flight in small aircraft). According to the Young Eagles website,
he had the third highest total of any Young Eagles volunteer.
Swanson's wife, Sheila, was also an officer of the chapter. The
Swansons were inesbit
nstrumental in forming the relatively new chapter, since moving
from the national capital area. Swanson was not only extremely
active in Young Eagles, he was also an active Loehle P-40 replica
builder, and traveled frequently to other EAA chapters to make
presentations on Young Eagles or his project. He also has a
Repairman Certificate for a Thorp T-211 aircraft, an indicator that
he completed that project.
Swanson was a Vietnam veteran, according to his friends, who
flew helicopters in that conflict, and had flown something or other
just about daily ever since. He is survived by his wife and two
grown children.
While media reports say
that Swanson (right) was a CFI, the FAA database, which lists four
pages of qualifications, only reports Private privileges for single
engine fixed wing aircraft, and Commercial and Instrument in
Rotorcraft/Helicopter. He has an A&P mechanic rating and an
Advanced Ground Instructor certificate, but no CFI. It is possible
that he received that rating recently, perhaps as a Sport Pilot
instructor; the FAA database is also known to have some errors.
A comment on Swanson's current medical certificate, reported in
the database, but cut off, is: "Not valid for any class after". The
date is not disclosed; As the higher (1st, 2nd) classes of medical
often "degrade" to the next lower class when they expire, this is
boilerplate language with some types of special issuance medical
certificate.
Swanson's reported student on the mishap flight, John Nesbit.
51, of Carolina Beach, was a former news anchorman and morning
talkshow co-host on Greensboro, NC's WFMY-TV Channel 2.
Nesbit (below, right) was fulfilling a lifelong dream of
learning to fly, his wife Mary Kaye told the Associated Press. He
is also survived by a son. He does not show any ratings in the FAA
database (as a sport pilot student, he would not require a
medical).
A ground and air search for the missing plane began when it did
not return to its base, coastal Oak Island/Brunswick County
airport, about 5:00 Sunday afternoon, after a mid-morning training
flight.The Light Sport Aircraft holds relatively little fuel (it
has four and a half hours endurance, but only at best economy
cruise). Pilots at the airport are also reported to have detected
an ELT signal. The wreckage was located by other pilots in a field
in an unincorporated area of Brunswick County, NC, about 20 miles
from the airport, about an hour after the search began.
The airplane was an Allegro, made by Fantasy Air in the Czech
Republic and sold in Europe as a JAR Ultralight, and in the USA as
a Special Light Sport Aircraft, Experimental Light Sport Aircraft,
or a 49% kit from which an Experimental amateur-built aircraft can
be constructed.
The machine is of
conventional concept with a tractor engine, a semimonocoque
aluminum high wing, and a fuselage incorporating both a steel
structural cage around the occupants and a composite skin and
tailcone section. It has a T-tail and is usually powered by a
4-cycle Rotax or small Jabiru engine of 80 to 115 HP.
Many of the type and its forerunners have been flying in Europe
since 1996, and it has been certified by the ultralight authorities
in Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland and Germany.
Swanson was reported to have had about 90 hours in type. He
purchased the plane in June.
The FAA Preliminary Report reads as follows:
** Report created 8/8/2005 Record 8 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 9164M Make/Model: ALLE Description: ALLEGRO
2000
Date: 08/07/2005 Time: 2145
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: SUPPLY State: NC Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON
BOARD WERE
FATALLY INJURED, BRUNSWICK COUNTY, SUPPLY, NC
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
Departed: OAK ISLAND, NC Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: OAK ISLAND, NC Flt Plan: NONE Wx
Briefing: N
Last Radio Cont: UNK Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: GREENSBORO, NC (SO05) Entry date: 08/08/2005
Aero-News readers are reminded that preliminary reports -- FAA
and media reports alike, including our own -- are often based on
incomplete and fragmentary information, and may contain errors.
This accident will be investigated by the authorities, with such
industry participation as may be required. Until the investigation
produces sufficient factual information, no purpose can be served
by speculating about the mishap's cause.
Aero-News extends our heartfelt condolences to the families of
these two fallen aviators.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
See All