Bird SEAWIND 3000 N40SW

Summary

On 23 April 2007 at about 20:35 local time, a Bird SEAWIND 3000 registered N40SW, operated by Gene E. Underland, was involved in an accident near Knox City, Missouri, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 April 2007 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Knox City, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

40.2086, -92.0078

Aircraft

Bird SEAWIND 3000

Registration

N40SW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gene E. Underland

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Malden → Willmar

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI07LA115

2 people died.

The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain that was encountered by the pilot during the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported seeing and hearing the airplane prior to its impact with the terrain. Several of these witnesses reported hearing the engine "sputtering" or "popping." A post crash fire engulfed the airplane, consuming all but the forward four feet of the fuselage. Control system integrity could not be conclusively determined; however, no evidence of a pre-impact failure was found. The engine was able to be rotated but damage from the post crash fire precluded determination as to the reason for the presumed loss of engine power. The terrain where the accident occurred was rising with vegetation about 8 to 12 inches tall. The ground scars and aircraft damage indicate that the bulkhead located just aft of the nose landing gear dug in during the forced landing resulting in the airplane nosing over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.