January 1, 2005, Ainsworth, Neb.
Cessna 551 Citation
At around 1120 Central time, the aircraft was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain while attempting to land. Instrument conditions prevailed; the Instrument-rated Private pilot and three passengers were uninjured. Two passengers reported minor injuries. At 1113:16, the airplane was cleared for a GPS Runway 17 approach. The pilot later stated that the airplane started to accumulate ice at around 4000 feet msl during the approach. Subsequently, the airplane descended out of IMC at between 300 and 400 feet agl. The Citations cockpit windows were obscured by the accumulation of ice and the pilot elected to land the airplane instead of executing the published missed-approach procedure. Reported weather included wind from 030 degrees at three knots, visibility of 1 sm with mist and a 500-foot overcast ceiling. The temperature was -8 degrees Celsius.
January 3, 2005, Davenport, Wash.
Cessna 310J
The airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing at 1245 Pacific time. The Private pilot and passenger were uninjured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the descent while visual conditions were present at the destination airport. According to the pilot, the airplane encountered light mixed airframe ice during its descent and was in icing conditions for about 15 minutes. The pilot used the deicing boots during the icing encounter and cycled the boots for the last time on downwind leg for landing. During the landing flare, he reduced power over the threshold at about 15 feet agl. The airplane stalled at a higher-than-normal airspeed, resulting in a hard landing. The propeller tips were bent, and there was engine nacelle and wing skin buckling. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by keeping power and airspeed up until touchdown when landing an airplane which has encountered icing conditions and retained some airframe ice.
January 4, 2005, Clewiston, Fla.
Cessna 172SP
At about 1315 Eastern time the airplane veered off the runway while landing. Visual conditions prevailed; there were no injuries among the Private-rated pilot-in-command and the CFI, although the airplane was substantially damaged. According to the pilot, he had not flown for a couple of weeks and asked the instructor to accompany him. While on short final, the aircraft yawed to the left due to a strong crosswind and the pilot said he was unable to make the corrections needed to land straight. During the landing roll-out, the left main gear departed the runway surface and the flight instructor took control of the aircraft, adding full power. The aircraft lifted off slightly, turned abruptly to the right, departed the runway at a 45-degree angle, struck a runway distance marker and settled once again on its landing gear prior to hitting a ditch.
January 7, 2005, Bradley, S.C.
Piper PA-28-181
The Private pilot and the three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed in a collision with the ground and with trees at the end of a flight with an intended destination of Greenwood, S.C. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Nearby weather reports included calm winds, visibility of 10 sm, with broken cloud conditions at 2200 feet agl and an overcast at 3400 feet agl. All major components of the aircraft were found at the accident site; a fuel odor was detected in the locations where fuel tank pieces were found. Each propeller blade displayed chordwise gouges across the leading edge and forward face. All flight control surfaces were observed at the accident site.
January 8, 2005, Marana, Ariz.
Cessna 150J
At about 0815 Mountain time, the airplane collided with static cables from a power line pole assembly. The Private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed for the local flight. According to the airplane owner, the pilot had stopped by his residence around 0600 the morning of the accident to ask if he could take the owners daughter flying. The owner indicated that it was too early to get her up, so the pilot went to the airport by himself. Around the time of the accident the owner and his spouse were in their front yard with their coffee and newspaper walking towards the back of the house when they saw the accident airplane. The airplane made one low pass over them. As the airplane was making a turn back toward the house, it struck the cables.
January 11, 2005, Rawlins, Wyo.
Beech BE-90
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain while flying the VOR/GPS Runway 22 approach at approximately 2145 Mountain time. Night instrument conditions prevailed for the air ambulance repositioning flight. The ATP-rated pilot and two crew members sustained fatal injuries; one crew member sustained serious injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, at approximately 2115 to pick up a patient. According to the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, the airplane was lost from radar at 9200 feet msl in the middle of the procedure turn for the instrument approach to Runway 22 at 2142.Witnesses near the accident site reported weather conditions varied from light snow to freezing rain.
January 11, 2005, Monroe, La.
Cessna 182R
At approximately 2010 Central time, the airplane impacted terrain about eight miles northeast of the Monroe Regional Airport, Monroe, La. Both occupants, each of whom held a Commercial pilot certificate, received fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The instrument proficiency flight had departed about 30 minutes prior to the accident and was being operated in instrument conditions. After multiple approaches, one pilot had to execute a missed approach due to a failure to maintain a correct approach track. The aircraft was cleared for another instrument approach, but the pilot again had to execute a missed approach. During that missed approach, the controller gave the pilot a radar vector in order to reposition the aircraft to a location where the pilot could initiate an intercept of the localizer. While in a turn toward the assigned heading, both radar and radio contact were lost.
January 14, 2005 in Patterson, La.
Beech 95-B55
The piston twin was destroyed following a loss of control during its initial takeoff climb from the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport (PTN), near Patterson, La., at 0954 Central time. The ATP-rated pilot and his dog were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the planned flight to the Houma-Terrebone Airport (HUM), near Houma, La.One witness observed the airplane climbing at a steep nose-high attitude with the gear and flaps retracted. At approximately 800 feet agl and approximately halfway down the runway, the witness observed the airplane start a slow left turn and reported that both propellers were turning. The witness said the airplanes initial turn was slow, but then developed into a rapid and tight turn continuing until the airplane was in the inverted position. Once inverted, the airplanes nose dropped and the witness reported seeing the entire under- and topside of the airplane as it made approximately two rotations before impacting the ground adjacent to the runway on private property.
January 19, 2005, Akron, Ohio
Cessna 414
At 0913 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. No one among the Private pilot or the two passengers was injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight originated at the Akron-Fulton Airport (AKR), at 0840. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane picked up real heavy ice, according the to the pilot. The wing, propeller, and windshield deicing systems were activated, but the windshields weeping alcohol system could not keep pace with the ice buildup, and the windshield blurred within seconds. Ice accumulated on the wing deicing boots while they were inflated, and ice shedding from the propellers was heard throughout the flight. The pilot requested and was cleared for an approach back to the departure airport. On short final, the pilot could see the runway out the side window, but aborted the landing. With zero forward visibility, he felt he could not safely complete the landing. The pilot continued to Akron-Canton Regional Airport, and completed the airport surveillance radar (ASR) approach to Runway 19. At 110 knots, and five feet above the runway, the pilot reduced power and the airplane just fell from the sky. The airplane landed hard on all three landing gear simultaneously. The pilot noted to of an inch of ice on the nose and the lifting surfaces of the airplane.Prior to departure, the pilot did not receive a weather briefing from FAA flight service, nor did he check for pilot reports (PIREPS). However, he did receive a briefing the night before the flight.
