Hawker Siddeley HUNTER MK.58 accident near Pacific Ocean, PO, August 22, 2017
On August 22, 2017 at about 11:18 pm local time, a 1959 Hawker Siddeley HUNTER MK.58, registered N338AX, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Pacific Ocean, PO. It was a public-use flight (federal) under public-use (government) rules. 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of airplane control after flying through another airplane's jet wash during an air defense exercise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2017 · about 11:18 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley HUNTER MK.58 NO SERIES, built 1959
- Registration
- N338AX · no longer on the register · serial 41H-697452
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft wake turb encounter during maneuvering
- Flight control sys malf/fail during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,138 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 5, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,242.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 11, 2017; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 25,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Avon 203/7 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NTD Oxnard CA at 10:17 pm
- Destination: NTD Oxnard CA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 24, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | GPS Track (Plot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Emergency Procedures from Flight Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Aileron Discrepancy Sheet | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Hydraulic and Flight Control System Excerpts from Flight Manual | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.