Pilot Debrief

HAWKER SIDDELEY HUNTER MK.58 near Pacific Ocean, PO — 2017-08-22

Final reportWPR17LA186
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Date
2017-08-22
Location
Pacific Ocean, PO, USA
Aircraft
HAWKER SIDDELEY HUNTER MK.58
Registration
N338AX
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of airplane control after flying through another airplane's jet wash during an air defense exercise.

NTSB narrative

The civilian airline transport pilot was conducting a cross-country flight with another airplane to participate in a military air defense training exercise. The accident pilot reported that, while flying about 14,000 ft mean sea level (msl), one of the military airplanes started flying alongside his airplane's right wing and then accelerated ahead of his airplane and crossed in front of its flightpath. The military pilot stated that he tried to get the accident pilot's attention so that he could make him aware of his position but that he was unsuccessful. The accident pilot reported that he attempted to follow the military airplane but that it then turned right and passed in front of his flightpath again. The accident pilot added that, as he turned right to follow the military airplane, he heard a "thump," which he attributed to jet wash. His airplane then immediately rolled left. He attempted to counter the left roll by applying right aileron, but the airplane then entered a nose-down attitude and began to spin. The pilot attempted to recover control without success, and he subsequently ejected from the airplane while it was passing through 4,000 ft msl. The airplane subsequently descended into the ocean. The airplane could not be examined after the accident because the wreckage was not recovered from the ocean. The pilot reported seeing that the magnetic indicators displayed black, which suggests that aileron hydraulic power was being supplied to the ailerons at the time of the loss of control. Given the evidence, it is likely that, after the accident airplane flew through the military airplane's jet wash, aileron movement was inhibited for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in the pilot's loss of airplane control.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided following the F-35 too closely to prevent loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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