Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Middlebourne, West Virginia 26149
Tuesady, October 20, 1992 14:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT'S WX BRIEF INCLUDED A FLT PRECAUTION FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE ICING CONDITIONS. LATER HE RECEIVED A PILOT REPORT OF MODERATE RIME ICING ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AND AT HIS PROPOSED FLT ALT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED PITOT TUBE AND A HEATED PROPELLER. APPROX 1 HR AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE STARTED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT FROM THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 9000 FT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN HIS ALTITUDE DUE TO ICE AFTER THE AIRPLANE HAD DESCENDED OVER 1000 FT. HE WAS CLEARED FIRST TO 6000 FT, AND THEN 4000 FT, BOTH OF WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN. HE WAS LAST OBSERVED ON RADAR, DESCENDING THROUGH 2400 FT. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WITH THE WINGS ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. HE SAID THE NOSE SUDDENLY PITCHED DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO TREES FROM WHICH A FIREBALL WAS OBSERVED TO EMANATE. RADAR DATA SHOWED AN APPROX 15 KNOT REDUCTION IN GROUND SPEED, IN THE 5 MINUTES PRECEDING THE DESCENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO INTENTIONALLY FLY INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND UNCONTROLLED DESCENT INTO TREES. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICING CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/20/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MIDDLEBOURNE |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26149 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1450 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PKB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 858 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 608 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 20 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1524 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48006 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1582L |
| NTSB Number | NYC93FA028 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| 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 | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A36 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-289 |
| 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 | Jul 10 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERT J. CARLETON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 132 ELMWOOD ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEEDHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02192 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT J. CARLETON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 132 ELMWOOD ROAD |
| Operator City | NEEDHAM |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 02192 |
| 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 | MFD |
| Departure City | MANSFIELD |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1346 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CHO |
| Destination City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |