Wilbur's Flight Operations

Cessna 402

The on-demand-charter flight was to originally pickup passengers and cargo but a landing gear problem forced another airplane with a mechanic to be dispatched. The other airplane returned with the passengers and the accident airplane was repaired by the mechanic and departed at a later time with the cargo on board. The airplane was not on a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed from 7,000 feet msl to 12,500 feet msl as reported by the other company airplane. The aircraft was found on the side of Mt Torbert at the 10,570 foot level. The pilot-in-command was found in the right pilot seat with a non-aviation related book in his lap. The mechanic was found in the left pilot seat with a world aeronautical chart, cd-11 open on his lap. The mechanic held a commercial pilots certificate but no instrument rating. The investigation revealed weaknesses in company operations.

Cessna 402

During arrival in heavy traffic, Reeve flight 726 (Boeing 727) and Wilburs flight 304 (Cessna 402B, N969JW) received radar advisories for visual approaches to runways 06L and 06R, respectively. Subsequently, both flights were cleared to land. At 1555:04, the local tower controller transmitted that the wind at the approach end of runway 06R was from 340° at 9 knots and the midfield wind was 330° at 7 knots. At approximately 1557, flight 726 landed on runway 06L. Approximately 69 seconds later, as flight 304 was crossing the threshold (thr) of runway 06R at about 100 feet agl, the aircraft encountered wake turbulences (w/t) and rolled sharply to the right, byd 90°. The pilot corrected with aileron and power, but the aircraft lost altitude and hit the ground before recovery. The wind during the 1601 weather observation was 020° at 5 kts. Runway centerlines were 700 feet apart, threshold of runway 06L was 4,600 feet byd the threshold of runway 06R. The approach control did not advise either flight of the other's position, nor did the tower controller give a w/t advisory to flight 304. Calculations showed vortices could have drifted from runway 06L to runway 06R in as little as 28 seconds. FAA handbook addressed w/t advisory for parallel runway options with less than 2,500 feet separation, but did not address offset thresholds. All five occupants were injured.

Cessna 402

The aircraft was on the last leg of a scheduled commuter flight, when it crashed in a heavily wooded area while making a VFR approach to Merrill Field, Anchorage, AK. The captain and his sole passenger were killed in the crash when the airplane struck the ground upside-down in a near vertical attitude. The airplane's copilot, who had deplaned minutes before the accident flight, said he did not see the captain use the aircraft's auxiliary fuel tanks at any time during that evening's earlier flights. The airplane's main fuel tanks hold 100 gallons of useable fuel; it is estimated that the airplane would have consumed slightly more than 100 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident. Ample fuel remained in the auxiliary tanks, but an engine restart cannot be readily accomplished if the auxiliary tanks are not selected prior to the engine's quitting. Both occupants were killed.

Rockwell Shrike Commander 500

After takeoff from Healy, while climbing, the pilot lost control of the airplane that struck trees and crashed near the airport. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair

The single engine airplane departed Anchorage on an on-demand charter flight over the Denali National Park, carrying one pilot and four tourists. While flying between 8,000 and 13,000 feet near circular end of box canyon, the pilot flew into blind canyon when the airplane struck peaks obscured by clouds and crashed. The wreckage was found few hours later and all five occupants were killed.

Cessna 402

Crashed while taking off from Anchorage-Merrill Field Airport due to an excessive accumulation of frost on wings and fuselage. There were no casualties.