Accident Briefs: September 2016
Cessna 180 Skywagon 1 Fatal The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane wasn’t certificated for flight into icing. A review of radar…
Cessna 180 Skywagon
1 Fatal
The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane wasn't certificated for flight into icing. A review of radar data and radio communications recordings revealed that, after an air traffic controller issued the pilot a descent from 10,000 to 8,000 ft. msl, the pilot reported that he was having engine trouble and had encountered possible icing. The pilot subsequently declared an emergency, and 3 minutes later, radar contact and communication with the airplane were lost. A day after the accident, search and rescue personnel found the remains of the pilot along the eastern shoreline of Culross Island. The left main landing gear strut and tire were also recovered. The rest of the airplane wasn't located, and it's presumed to have sunk in Prince William Sound.
A review of weather information revealed that marginal visual flight rules conditions prevailed along the flight route due to low ceilings and that occasional instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed due to low ceilings and visibility in snow showers. Moderate icing was forecast between 4,000 and 10,000 ft. above ground level. It's likely that the airplane encountered IMC and potential icing conditions below 10,000 ft. msl. A pilot in an airplane about 6 minutes behind the accident airplane reported that, before descending from about 9,500 ft. msl, he noticed a slight buildup of ice on the left engine cowling. Given this statement, the weather reports, and the accident pilot's report that he was having engine trouble, it's likely that the airplane flew through an area favorable for the formation of induction or carburetor icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
A mechanic reported that the pilot had told him that when he applied carburetor heat, the control felt "mushy." He instructed the pilot to inspect the control arm for any damage because it could prevent the carburetor heat from operating correctly. Before the accident flight, the mechanic sent a text message to the pilot asking if he had checked the carburetor heat control, and the pilot replied that he had not but would do it that day. Therefore, although it's possible that damage to the carburetor heat control arm may have limited the amount of carburetor heat available to eliminate any possible carburetor ice, it couldn't be determined if this occurred because the airplane couldn't be examined.
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to continue flight into known icing conditions, contrary to the airplane's limitations, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to icing.
Piper PA 28RT-201 Turbo Arrow
2 Uninjured
The flight instructor reported that the private pilot receiving instruction was flying a simulated engine failure approach to an airport in gusty crosswind conditions. When the airplane approached 50 feet above the ground on final, the flight instructor called "go-around." He reported that the pilot "simultaneously pulled back and went full throttle." The flight instructor stated the airspeed was about 80 knots, and "the airplane fell straight to the ground" short of the runway. After the impact, the airplane bounced forward onto the runway, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed the runway to the left about 550 feet from the runway threshold. The flight instructor reported that he verified that the throttle was full forward before the impact. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
According to the FAA Airport Facility Directory, trees were listed as an obstacle for the runway used. About the time of the accident, 7 nautical miles southeast of the airport, an automated weather observing system reported wind from 190 true at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The tree line was located upwind and parallel to the airplane's final approach.
Probable Cause: The private pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a collision with terrain short of the runway.
Beech 200 Super King Air
1 Uninjured
The pilot of the multiengine turbine-powered airplane departed on a positioning flight to a nearby airport to have the flaps examined. He performed the landing checklist, which included extending the landing gear when the airplane was about 7 miles from the airport. Upon contacting the control tower, he was informed the airplane was number two to land and provided a vector for sequencing. After about 4 minutes, the pilot was instructed to turn toward the airport and cleared to land. The pilot stated that during his preparation for a no flap landing, he forgot he had retracted and not subsequently lowered the landing gear. During the landing flare, the control tower stated "gear" and he attempted to abort the landing; however, the airplane contacted the runway and slid to a stop, about 2,500 feet beyond the beginning of the runway. A fuel bladder leak resulted in a fire in the area of the left engine nacelle and substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated he didn't hear a landing gear warning horn prior to the accident. According to the airplane flight manual, the landing gear warning would activate intermittently with the gear not down below a certain power setting. Postaccident damage precluded a functional check of the landing gear warning system; the pilot stated he utilized additional power during the no flap landing and didn't recall the specific power setting used. He reported about 12,600 hours of total flight experience, which included about 955 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane's landing gear prior to landing, which resulted in a gear-up landing.
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