Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Richmond Int. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Richmond, Virginia 23250
Tuesady, March 9, 1999 18:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed in VMC conditions towards the destination airport. As the flight progressed, the cloud base began to lower and the visibility decreased. Unable to maintain VFR, the pilot obtained an IFR clearance and was told to climb to 2,000, then to 4,000 feet. While climbing from 2,000 feet to 4,000 feet, ice accumulation was noticed on the windshield of the airplane. Level at 4,000 feet, the ice accumulation continued, and the airplane descended back to 2,000 feet where ice no longer accumulated. On approach, as the airplane descended through a cloud layer about 500 feet from the ground, the ice began to shed from the airplane. Due to ice remaining on the windshield, the pilot had difficulty judging the distance to the runway and had to look through the side window of the airplane to maintain visual reference with the ground. The airplane touched down on the runway hard, and the main landing gear pushed up through the wings. Records revealed that the pilot did not obtain a weather briefing from FSS. An AIRMET was issued for light occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in clouds and precipitation below 22,000 feet along the pilot's route of flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation which resulted in flight into icing weather conditions. A factor related to the accident was restricted visibility through the icy windshield during landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/9/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | RICHMOND |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 23250 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | RICHMOND INT. AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RIC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 168 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1820 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RIC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 168 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 945 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 12 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5454F |
| NTSB Number | NYC99LA073 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7780012 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 3 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 125 |
| Airframe Hours | 8590 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BELLEFONTE, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3704 STONEGATE |
| Aircraft Owner City | DURHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27705 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RAM AIR FRIEGHT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 80123 |
| Operator City | RALEIGH |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 27623 |
| Operator Code | FFKA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PHF |
| Departure City | NEWPORT NEWS |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RIC |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 6607 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |