Mechanical failure ruled out in crash

SANDPOINT — Mechanical failure has been ruled out as the cause of a plane crash in the Cabinet Mountains that killed three people, including aviator and entrepreneur Dr. Pam Riddle Bird.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a factual report Wednesday on the Oct. 8, 2015, crash near Hope. An analysis of the engine aboard Bird’s 1975 Cessna 182P concluded that it appeared to be in good working order.

“No pre-accident anomalies were identified with the engine and engine-related systems that would have prevented the engine’s ability to produce full, rated power,” the eight-page report said.

The 260-horsepower motor was analyzed by a technical representative of its manufacturer, Continental Motors, under the oversight of a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, according to the report.

The report also appears to rule out other forms of mechanical failure.

“The wreckage examination identified no anomalies or malfunctions of the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation,” the report said.

Moreover, the plane underwent its annual inspection on Sept. 27, 2015.

Bird, 59, was presumed killed in the crash. Her remains were never recovered, although federal investigators said in the report that her remains were completely consumed by a post-crash fire that laid waste to the cockpit.

The remains of Don Hensley, 80, and his 84-year-old wife, Tookie, were positively identified through dental records, according to a Bonner County Sheriff’s Office report which has also been released to the public through the NTSB.

A photograph taken immediately before the plane lifted from the Bird Aviation Museum on Lake Pend Oreille showed Bird in the left front seat, Tookie Hensley in the right front seat and Don Hensley in the right rear passenger seat. Investigators noted that the fire appeared to have burned more intensely on the left side of the aircraft.

Pieces of jewelry and personal effects recovered at the crash scene on Round Top Mountain were positively identified as Bird’s, according to the sheriff’s report.

The trio was originally set to depart from Sagle on Oct. 7, but those plans were scuttled due to poor weather conditions, the NTSB report said. The plane was bound for Minot, N.D., and ultimately destined for Gainesville, Fla., where Bird reportedly kept a winter home.

Meteorological conditions at the time of the crash indicated there was a calm wind with an overcast cloud layer at about 2,800 feet above ground level. Visibility was reported as 7 statute miles and temperatures were observed at 11 degrees Celsius, which translates to nearly 52 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.

Glen Smith, an airplane mechanic who performed the annual inspection on Bird’s plane, happened to be flying over the lake on the same day as the crash.

“Overall, Mr. Smith said that it was an ugly day to fly,” Van S. McKenny, a senior aviation accident investigator, noted in the NTSB report.

The plane crashed about 7 miles into its flight. The plane reportedly hit the mountainside at 8:26 a.m., although an emergency locater beacon was reportedly triggered at 8:23 a.m., the NTSB report said.

Six hours after the crash, a helicopter from Two Bear Air in Kalispell, Mont., spotted the wreckage. The still-burning wreckage was discovered just below a ridgeline saddle at an elevation of 5,226 feet above mean sea level. The plane struck numerous treetops before colliding with the shale-covered mountainside.

The plane was outfitted with tanks allowing it carry 104 gallons of fuel. It had been fueled to capacity in preparation for the flight to Florida, the NTSB report indicates.

The Two Bear chopper that discovered the wreckage was equipped with forward-looking infrared imaging capabilities that can detect heat signatures in darkness. However, a search of the area with the imaging gear turned up no signs of Bird.

The search for Bird’s remains also coincided with the search for a distressed hunter on the mountain. The hunter was rescued, although no sign of Bird was discovered.

Toxicological exams on the Hensleys indicated there were no alcohol or drugs in their systems at the time of the crash. A toxicological exam could not be performed on Bird due to the absence of her remains.

Friends and family told investigators that Bird appeared to be in good health, although her daughter, Rachel Schwam, indicated that she may have been under pressure following the death of her husband, Dr. Forrest Morton Bird, on Aug. 2, 2015. She was also attending to the needs of their company, Percussionaire, and dealing with her late husband’s estate, Schwam told investigators.

Doctor Loel Fenwick, who was a member of Percussionaire’s board of directors at the time of the crash, told investigators he was not sure why Bird and the Hensleys chose to depart given the weather conditions.

Fenwick described Pam Bird as a cautious pilot who tended to defer to more experienced aviators when in their company. Bird had logged hundreds of hours of flight time, while the Hensleys had logged thousands of hours, according to FAA records.

It appeared to Fenwick that the trio seemed to be in a hurry, perhaps in order to keep to a schedule. Fenwick added that it was unusual for Pam Bird to depart the airfield without Schwam on hand to see her off, the NTSB report.

Airplane maintenance records were reportedly aboard the crashed plane. Bird’s pilot log book was also thought to be aboard the plane, according to the NTSB report.