Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jackson, Wyoming 83001
Sunday, December 8, 1996 12:25 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After takeoff, the pilot contacted Flight Watch, while in VFR conditions, & obtained weather information, which included forecast icing conditions and a low ceiling at the destination (Jackson, WY). From about 170 miles southeast of Jackson, the pilot was cleared to proceed via Victor 238. During arrival, he was cleared for a VOR/DME approach to runway 36. Radar data indicated that while en route, the aircraft (acft) did not fly down the center of the airway, but was to the right by a few miles. The controller informed the pilot of this, & he responded that his VOR was 'kind of in and out.' The pilot's last transmission to the controller (before he was cleared for the approach) was that he was picking up moderate rime ice. At the 16 DME arc, the flight did not make a required turn to the west (onto the arc), but continued to parallel the airway. Shortly thereafter, radar contact was lost. Subsequently, the acft impact terrain near the top of a 10,741' peak, located approximately 11 miles southeast of the airport. Minimum altitude for the approach was 12,700' on the arc until passing west of the 165 deg radial, then 11,500' until inbound on the 186 deg radial. Evidence at the accident site indicated that after impact, an avalanche started, then the acft slid downhill about 300' before coming to rest partially buried in snow. Postcrash examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
failure of the pilot to follow IFR procedures. High terrain, low ceiling, icing conditions, and a possible anomaly with the VOR were related factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/8/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1225 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | JACKSON |
| Event State | WYOMING |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83001 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1215 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JAC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6445 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1928 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 8 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1315 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3000R |
| NTSB Number | SEA97FA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | B36TC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B36TC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | EA-560 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 212 |
| Airframe Hours | 394 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | THOMAS T. LAUGHLIN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6033 ROWENA RIVER RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | THE DALLES |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97058 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | THOMAS T. LAUGHLIN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2996 SANDY LANE |
| Operator City | DEL MAR |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92014 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ASE |
| Departure City | ASPEN |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | JAC |
| Destination City | JACKSON |
| Destination State | WY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |