Hawker Siddeley MK-58A HUNTER N58MX

Summary

On 16 July 2006 at about 23:28 local time, a Hawker Siddeley MK-58A HUNTER registered N58MX was involved in an accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 July 2006 at 23:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Portland-Hillsboro (HIO)

Coordinates

45.5403, -122.9497

Aircraft

Hawker Siddeley MK-58A HUNTER

Registration

N58MX

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Air Race/Show

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hillsboro → Van Nuys

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA06FA142

1 person died.

Loss of aircraft control for undetermined reasons during the takeoff sequence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during an air show event. The airplane was a static display at the air show and, with the exception of the accident flight, the airplane did not fly during the show. Event coordinators reported that the pilot planned to make three non-aerobatic low passes over runway 30, and subsequent to completion of the maneuvers, he intended to continue the flight to his home airport in Southern California. Several eyewitnesses, both in attendance at the show, and others located in the residential community where the airplane crashed reported that following the takeoff, the airplane entered a right downwind for runway 30. One witness, who was located near midfield, reported that the pilot's takeoff was "conservative" and the engine sounded "normal." A second witness, also located near midfield, reported that the takeoff was "consistent" with what you would expect from a vintage jet. Another witness reported that the airplane appeared to "wallow" nose high before it descended beyond his vantage point behind a tree line. The witnesses observed heavy black smoke in the area shortly after the airplane descended below the tree line. Numerous witnesses reported similar observations. FAA inspectors reported that the airplane impacted terrain in a residential neighborhood near the departure airport. One home was destroyed and two others were damaged by the post crash fire. Impact forces and post impact fire destroyed a majority of the airframe and associated components. The airframe, to include cockpit controls, instrumentation and flight controls, were destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. Extensive thermal and impact related deformation was noted to the entire engine assembly and associated accessories. The forward air intake casing and forward section of the compressor casing were completely destroyed. The turbine assembly, to include the rotor blades and stators, were intact and with the exception of the surrounding case, sustained minimal damage. Silver/gray colored splatter type deposits were noted along the leading edges, pressure surface and shrouds of the turbine airfoils. Examination of the material, utilizing a scanning electron microscope (SEM), indicated the silver/gray material was mostly composed of aluminum alloy. No evidence of pre impact case deformation was noted during the engine exam. No open maintenance discrepancies were noted during a post accident review of the airplane's maintenance records.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.