Pace,
I appreciate your experience with the Seneca, may I ask you to do the calculations for the journey and publish your findings here - we all know that the flight failed, but it would be good to see the calculations done by a pilot such as you with as much experience on type.
The route filed by Weaver was CYYR-LOACH-59N50W-DIRECT (BGBW)
The Weather was forcast as: (quoted from official accident report)
The following weather forecasts were issued by the meteorological office in Kangarlussuaq (BGSF) Greenland the
14. April 2008 were available to the commander:
Cl. 0300 TAF 140300Z 140312 08022KT BGBW 9999 BKN100 TEMPO 0309 08030G40KT
BECMG 0911 08030G40KT TEMPO 1112 08040G50KT.
Cl. 0700 TAF 140700Z 140716 08025KT BGBW 9999 SCT100 BKN150 TEMPO 0716 08030G40KT.
Cl. 1000 TAF BGBW141000Z 141019 08030KT 9999 SCT040 BKN100 TEMPO 1019 08042G55KT BKN040.
Cl. 1300 TAF 141300Z 141319 08030KT BGBW 9999 SCT040 BKN100 TEMPO 1319 08042G55KT BKN040.
Cl. 1300 AMD TAF AMD 141600Z 141619 08045G58KT 9999 BKN120.
METAR Weather Observations were made at intervals of one hour broadcast from BGBW.
METAR, released from BGBW, 14 April 2008, contained the following wind information:
Cl. 0750 08029KT.
Cl. 0850 08026KT.
Cl. 0950 07039G49KT .
Cl. 1050 08029G42KT .
Cl. 1350 08041G54KT .
Weaver had sent an email to the owner of the ferry company that he had contracted to do the work for before the accident:
From: rob weaver <
[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Subject: CYYR direct BGGH
To:
[email protected]
Peter,
The Seneca is burning about 20US gallons per hour at 13,000ft with the engines leaned, it takes about 20gallons to get upto 13,000ft from engine start, taxi and climb.
I was hoping to be in Iceland later today, please see the below weather report and the winds, this was unexpected to be as bad as this, and sadly as you know its not cheap being grounded in Goose, I hope to be airborne again tomorrow. (Note Greenland is closed Sunday so I want to get to Iceland tommorow to avoid further costs to you/your client)
Routing will now be CYYR Direct BGGH to save time and money for both of us. (700nm in distance)
I have net access at the overpriced hotel so please feel free to drop me a e-mail back, note that I have no cell phone signal.
The trip up yesterday was more or less IFR all the way shortly after leaving KLEW with the ceilings at 14,000ft down to about 5,000ft with moderate icing and turbulence, but nothing of a problem.
Hope to hear from you later,
Rob
Weavers flight plan was filed to BGBW
NOT BGGH before the crash.
To help I also quote below a little from the official transcript of the communications as the Search and Rescue operation happened:
1431 N344SE declaring miminum fuel to CYQX – Requesting priority approach to BGBW.
1440 (RQS-N344SE-CYYR-BGBW) - Data not available.
1443 (POS-N344SE-59N050W/1426 DES F070 BGBW/1605-
RLA VIA BAW217)
1448 (POS-BAW217-ADZ THAT N344SE HAS BGBW WX INFO AND BGSF FREQ 121.3)
1451 SPL RECEIVED FROM CZQXZQZX:
(SPL-N344SE-CYYR-BGBW
-E/0530 P/002 R/E S/PM J/LV
D/01 006 C/YELLOW
A/WHITE BLUE
C/WEAVER OPR/SKY FERRY)
1453 N344SE on BGGL frequency 121.300 MHz. Advices fuel remaining 1:21 hours, estimates BGBW in 1:15 hours.
1457 N344SE request QNH in in.hg. Delivered A29.56.
1506 N344SE: 29 gallons of fuel left.
1511 N344SE: Position 59 51,73N 048 39,91W – 122.6 NM from BGBW.
1515 N344SE: Request rescue helo. RCC advices that rescue helicopter is preparing for departure.
1518 N344SE: Groundspeed down to 82 kts, descending to 3.000 ft.
1520 N344SE: Have land in sight, groundspeed 76 kts, maintaining 4.600 ft for now.
1523 N344SE at position 60 03,11N 048 12,39W.
1530 N344SE at position 60 09,70N 047 56,63W.
1534 Rescue Helicopter GRL5200 (OYHIA) with doctor onboard airborne from BGJH.
1535 RCC request N344SE to activate ELT if possible. ELT is manually activated by pilot.
1536 N344SE at position 60 17,05N 047 39,10W.
1537 RCC relay position at time 1536 to rescue helicopter OYHIA.
1539 RCC advices N344SE of the departure and routing of OYHIA.
SAR Case Name/No: N344SE
Type: PA34 Callsign: N344SEReg: N344SE Pob:2
Dato: 14 APR 08Emergency Phase: ALERFa/DETRESFANature of Distress:Fuel starvation
TID ( UTC) ACTION:
1541 RCC relayed details on N344SE to OYHIA.
1546 N344SE two fiords in sight. Pilot requests advice on which fiord to choose. OYHIA advices that Bredefjord will be the best routing in the prevailing wind conditions.
1547 N344SE is 62 NM almost due west of BGBW. OYHIA is 45 NM from BGBW.
1548 N344SE: We might be able to make it to BGBW.
1551 N344SE: Groundspeed increased to 135 kts, just about to enter the fiord. OYHIA is circling overhead Simiutaq at 1.000 ft.
1552 N344SE 52,9 NM from BGBW at 4.600 ft.
1553 N344SE at position 60 40,44N 046 49,49W.
1553 Visual contact between N344SE and OYHIA.
1554 N344SE advices that fuel emergency light is now illuminated.
1555 FIC delivers BGBW altimeter setting 29.50 to N344SE and QNH 999 HPa to OYHIA.
1556 N344SE: It is going to be really close!
1600 N344SE: We have to land in terrain. Position 60 53,24N 046 24,60W.
1603 N344SE declaring MAYDAY – fuel exhausted.
1610 GRL5201: 6 NM and 2 min from LKP.
1611 FIC delivers details on aircraft N344SE to GRL5201.
1612 GRL5201 at position 60 55N 046 12W.
1613 BGNS HIS advices that the aircraft has performed a forced landing on a field 500 metres from BGNS heliport.
1613 Information from BGNS relayed to GRL5201 and OYHIA.
1615 OYHIA has the aircraft in sight.
1617 GRL5201 arriving at site. Advices that crew from N344SE are okay.
1620 EKCH SUPV advised.