Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Morganton-Lenoir Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Morganton, North Carolina 28655
Wednesday, February 26, 1992 8:26 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS ON A PART 135 CARGO FLIGHT. SINCE THE DESTINATION AIRPORT HAD NO WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, COMPANY POLICY AND FAR 135 REQUIRED A VFR DESCENT AND LANDING FROM THE MVA. THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR A LOCALIZER APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT, ALTHOUGH A NEARBY AIRPORT WAS REPORTING 400' BROKEN/3 MILES WITH FOG. THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE HAD MISSED HIS FIRST APPROACH, AND REQUESTED A SECOND APPROACH TO THE SAME AIRPORT. AFTER EXECUTING THE MISSED APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRIAN WHILE ALIGNED WITH THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF THE LOCALIZER. CAP PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED ABOUT 1,500 FEET BELOW A MINIMUM ALTITUDE ON THE FIRST APPROACH ATTEMPT. MODE C ALTITUDE DATA WAS LOST DURING THE MISSED APPROACH. FOUR YEARS EARLIER, THIS PILOT DESCENDED BELOW GLIDEPATH ON AN ILS APPROACH AND CRASHED INTO TREES WITH WEATHER BELOW APPROACH MINIMUMS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW FAR AND COMPANY PROCEDURES, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS WERE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN CONDITIONS, AND THE FOGGY, LOW CEILING WEATHER CONDITIONS EXISTING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/26/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 826 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MORGANTON |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28655 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MORGANTON-LENOIR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MRN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 13 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 210 |
| Airport Elevation | 1266 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 830 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 70 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HKY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1189 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| 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) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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) | 369 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46531 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 19 2002 9:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N347G |
| NTSB Number | ATL92FA049 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | H-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | H-18 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | BA-654 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 14 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 34 |
| Airframe Hours | 13506 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PIEDMONT AIR CARGO, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1184 GASTON DAY SCHOOL ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | GASTONIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28054 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PIEDMONT AIR CARGO, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1184 GASTON DAY SCHOOL ROAD |
| Operator City | GASTONIA |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 28054 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | CLT |
| Departure City | CHARLOTTE |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 737 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MRN |
| Destination City | MORGANTON |
| Destination State | NC |
| 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 | 3 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |