planeandpilotmag.com 53through a pass to the east in order to clear terrain.
Flights departing from Runway 21 would be able to
climb over the lower terrain leading to the Pacific
Ocean and gain sufficient altitude before turning
toward the higher terrain.
A witness told investigators that he spoke with
the pilots of both Nature Air flights that day and
reported that they knew they had to use the eastern
pass through the high terrain when departing from
Runway 3. Indeed, both pilots used Runway 3 for
departure that day.
The NTSB’s report suggested that a tailwind existed
for takeoff from Runway 21, and the pilots likely
believed they’d be exceeding the airplane’s 10-knot
tailwind takeoff limitation if they took off to the south.
The first flight took off from Runway 3, climbed out
normally and made a right turn to the east. It continued
through the pass and had an uneventful flight to the
international airport at San Jose.
The hotel staff member who had brought the pas-
sengers to the airport told investigators that the
accident airplane departed about 15 minutes after
the first 208B. The employee said it did not make the
same right turn as the airplane that took off ahead
of it but continued flying the runway heading until it
made a left turn.
The airport surveillance system showed part of the
takeoff and captured the accident sequence. The NTSB
said the airplane was visible in the video for about 25
seconds. It was shown to be climbing on a heading of
approximately 030 degrees. It then was shown starting
a left turn. Investigators determined from the video
that the bank angle of the airplane got steeper, and
then it descended into the terrain. The accident site
was about four-tenths of a mile from the departure
end of Runway 3.
Investigators ran a computer analysis of the video
in order to estimate the airplane’s orientation and
speed in various locations during the departure. They
found that shortly after lifting off, the airplane’s speed
across the ground was 68 knots, plus or minus three
knots. The climb rate was estimated to be 715 feet
per minute. The Safety Board reported that several
seconds later, the airplane was in a descent of about
1,510 feet per minute at a speed across the ground
of 82 knots, plus or minus four knots. The airplane’s
bank angle during the left turn was estimated to have
reached 75 degrees.
The Safety Board found that the Pilot’s Operating
Handbook for the 208B showed that with 60 degrees
bank and no flaps extended, the stall speed would
be 110 knots at maximum gross weight. With 20