Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Snoqualmie Pass, Washington 98068
Saturday, November 21, 1992 9:35 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE CLIMBING IN MOD ICING CONDS AFTER TAKEOFF, PLT WAS CLEARED TO 17,000'. RADAR DATA SHOWED ACFT CLIMBED AT AN INDCD AIRSPEED (IAS) OF 82 TO 123 KTS. A BEECH SAFETY INFO BOOKLET STATED THAT A MIN AIRSPEED OF 140 KTS MUST BE MAINTAINED IN ICING CONDS. CLIMBING AT REDUCED AIRSPEED WOULD HAVE INCREASED ANGLE OF ATTACK & ALLOWED ICE TO ACCUMULATE UNDER THE WINGS & AFT OF THE DE-ICING BOOTS. ACFT CLIMBED TO 13,500', DESCENDED MOMENTARILY TO 13,300', THEN CONTINUED CLIMBING AS AIRSPEED DECREASED ABRUPTLY. AFTER SLOWING TO 60 KTS IAS AT 13,700', THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENDING TURN & ACCELERATED TO HIGH SPEED (ABOVE VNE). AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, STATING THE AIRCRAFT 'LOST AN ENGINE.' SOON THERE- AFTER, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST & THE ACFT CRASHED. PIECES OF EMPENNAGE SURFACES SEPARATED IN FLIGHT & WERE FOUND AT REMOTE LOCATION FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. BOTH COUNTERWEIGHTS SEPARATED FROM THE ELEVATORS. POST-CRASH TESTS DISCLOSED NO MECHANICAL EVIDENCE OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION. LOW CEILING, FOG, LIGHT RAIN, SNOW & ICING CONDITIONS WERE RPRTD IN AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HIS FAILURE TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM EXCEEDING THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED (VNE), AND SUBSEQUENT EXCEEDING OF THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WEATHER CONDITIONS (INCLUDING ICING CONDITIONS), IMPROPER AIRSPEED, AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S).

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/21/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 935
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SNOQUALMIE PASS
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98068
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 11
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1009 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 128
Weather Observation Facility ID SMP
Elevation of weather observation facility 3800
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.13
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 17
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
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 6
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1043
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 21 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1115
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N100EK
NTSB Number SEA93FA026
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 A60
Aircraft Series Identifier A60
Aircraft Serial Number P-209
Certified Max Gross Weight 6725
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 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 17 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HUBER, JAMES D.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 11607 72ND PLACE NE
Aircraft Owner City KIRKLAND
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98034
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HUBER, JAMES D.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 11607 72ND PLACE NE
Operator City KIRKLAND
Operator State WA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 98034
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BFI
Departure City SEATTLE
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 919
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PUW
Destination City PULLMAN
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --