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Article Excerpt
On August 10, 2008, a Beech 55 Baron landed for fuel at Gustavus, Alaska, after a five-hour flight from Bellingham, Wash. It was a Sunday evening and should have been the end of a long flying day. Unfortunately, the 82-year-old pilot found the airport unattended.
He took off again, and launched a sequence of events that would end in a wreck. And while many factors played into the mix, I believe the core cause was the pilot's unrealized but disabling fatigue.
Confusion Sets In
It was 15 minutes before sunset when the Baron pilot was airborne off Gustavus and on the radio to Anchorage Center for an IFR clearance to Sitka, Alaska, 69 miles south of the Sisters Island VOR. He added this remark: "I hope we have enough fuel."
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Asked about fuel, he replied, "We got about an hour." The controller, concerned, suggested a return to Gustavus and got an irritated response. She then suggested Juneau, which was closer with better weather. The pilot agreed, and after an initial climb to 10,000 feet, he was cleared "to Juneau Airport via direct Sisters Island, then the LDA approach procedure, maintain 7000 until Sisters Island. Report over Sisters Island." Juneau weather was wind calm, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 400, 5000 scattered, 6000 overcast.
The pilot affirmed he had the approach plate...
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