Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lapeer, New York 13803
Monday, April 12, 1993 9:51 EDT

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS INSTRUMENT TRAINING. WX WAS OBTAINED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED THE EVENING BEFORE THE FLIGHT; NO FURTHER UPDATED WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED. CURRENT AIRMETS CALLED FOR, AND PIREPS REPORTED, INFLIGHT ICING FOR THE ROUTE AND DESTINATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS NEITHER DE-ICING NOR ANTI-ICING EQUIPPED. JUST BEFORE THE APCH CLEARANCE WAS ISSUED TO THE PILOT, ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ON THE SAME FREQUENCY WAS ISSUED A PIREP FOR MODERATE ICING. A VOR APCH TO THE ORIGINAL DESTINATION WAS INITIATED. THE CLOUD CEILING WAS 500 FT BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE. A MISSED APPROACH WAS EXECUTED. THE INSTRUCTOR RADIOED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT ENCOUNTERING ICING CONDITIONS AND HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. ATC ISSUED PROGRESSIVELY LOWER ALTITUDES, WITH A FINAL EMERGENCY VECTORING ALTITUDE OF 2300 FT, BASED ON THEIR EMERGENCY OBSTRUCTION VIDEO MAP (EVOM). OBSTRUCTIONS 2300 FT HIGH WERE DEPICTED IN THE AREA ON THE EOVM. THE AIRPLANE, WITH LANDING GEAR EXTENDED, IMPACTED TREES AT 2000 FT ELEVATION.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN UPDATED WEATHER INFORMATION PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE ICING CONDITIONS, AND THE DEGRADED AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DUE TO AIRFRAME ICE AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR.