Pilot Debrief

BEECH 19 near Lafayette, IN — 2009-01-18

Final reportCEN09CA136
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Date
2009-01-18
Location
Lafayette, IN, USA
Airport
LAF
Aircraft
BEECH 19
Registration
N6509T
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent encounter with icing conditions during initial climb. Contributing to the accident were the lack of visibility during the landing due to an ice covered windscreen, and the structural ice that adversely affected the flight characteristics of the airplane.

NTSB narrative

Prior to the night flight, the pilot obtained a "full, low-level weather briefing" and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. Shortly after departure, the pilot encountered icing conditions and began to experience a severe vibration in the aircraft flight controls at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot elected to return to the departure airport. During the instrument approach to land, the airplane continued to accumulate ice on the airframe, and continued toward the terrain in a 1,500 feet per minute descent. At 1,750 feet msl, the airplane "broke out of the clouds with the windscreen completely covered with ice." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 40 feet short of the runway and skidded to a stop on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the airplane's systems and powerplant revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's wings and windscreen had approximately 1 inch of ice on the respective surfaces. The pilot reported that icing conditions were not forecasted or reported prior to his flight.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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