Pilot Debrief

RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY A36 near Richwood, LA — 2013-01-24

Final reportCEN13FA143
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Date
2013-01-24
Location
Richwood, LA, USA
Airport
KMLU
Aircraft
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY A36
Registration
N980SS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
4
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions.

NTSB narrative

While approaching the airport to land in instrument meteorological conditions, the pilot checked in with the local approach controller and informed him that he was south of the airport at 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl). When the airplane was about 33 miles from the airport, the local controller instructed the pilot to turn left 15 degrees to intercept the localizer for the landing runway and descend to 2,000 feet msl. Radar data showed the airplane turn to intercept the localizer but then overshoot the inbound course. The airplane was about 2 miles left (north) of course and continuing north when the local controller advised the pilot that he had flown through the final approach course and was still northbound. The pilot acknowledged the information and requested a vector to turn back to the localizer course. The local controller then instructed the pilot to turn right 70 degrees to re-intercept the inbound course, and the pilot acknowledged the heading. Radar data showed the airplane turn onto the localizer course. When the airplane was 4 miles from the final approach fix, the local controller cleared the approach and instructed the pilot to contact the tower. After the pilot contacted the tower, the tower controller cleared the airplane for landing. After the pilot told the tower controller that the airplane was at 3,000 feet msl, the controller cancelled the landing clearance because the airplane was at too high an altitude to intercept the glideslope and issued missed approach instructions; however, the pilot made no further communications to air traffic control. Radar data subsequently showed the airplane make a tight, right-descending turn to the south while at 1,600 feet msl and 211 knots. The airplane climbed to 1,900 feet msl and then descended. The airplane disappeared from radar when it was headed south-southwest at 1,200 feet msl. Witnesses saw the airplane rapidly descending almost vertically toward the ground. They lost sight of the airplane as it descended below the tree tops and then subsequently heard the it impacting trees and terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies with the engine, flight controls, or other airplane systems that would have precluded normal operation. Although postmortem toxicology showed the presence of ethanol, the variability of the amounts found indicate that it was likely from postmortem production and not ingestion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the approach earlier when unable to descend.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • FDR / data
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 33 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents33

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