Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Vista Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kennewick, Washington 99336
Thursday, December 30, 1999 14:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was informed of icing conditions prior to entering the clouds. Although the aircraft is prohibited from flight into known icing conditions, the pilot elected to continue the flight into the icing conditions and land at his planned destination. Once the aircraft entered the clouds, it immediately began picking up ice, ultimately preventing it from attaining any significant climb rate and necessitating a nearly full-power approach at an airspeed 30 to 40 knots faster than the airplane's normal flaps-up landing speed. The pilot performed an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to an airport 5 miles from his destination, and after breaking out under the clouds, canceled instrument flight rules (IFR) and proceeded under visual flight rules (VFR) to the destination airport (whose runway is approximately 3,100 feet shorter than the runway to which the ILS approach is made.) The pilot reported that about 30-50 feet above ground level on final approach, he reduced power and extended flaps from 10 degrees to 20 degrees (the 'Inadvertent Icing Encounter' emergency procedure in the pilot's operating handbook specifies that wing flaps be left retracted.) The aircraft's speed immediately dropped, as did the left wing. The aircraft descended and the airplane landed hard, bouncing once before settling to the runway surface. The pilot reported that after he taxied to the ramp and inspected the airplane, he noted about 1/2 inch of ice on all flight surfaces.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's decision to continue flight into known icing conditions, and his subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach, resulting in a hard landing. Factors included: icing conditions; the pilot's improper decision to continue to his planned destination from an ILS low approach rather than to execute the straight-in ILS approach to a full stop on a more suitable runway for his flight situation; and the pilot's failure to follow proper pilot's operating handbook procedures for an inadvertent icing encounter.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/30/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | KENNEWICK |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99336 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | VISTA FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | S98 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 531 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 37 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 407 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1904 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 31 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1410 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N374TC |
| NTSB Number | SEA00LA034 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 182S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18280374 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 21 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 24 |
| Airframe Hours | 904 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD W. ROBERTS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14102 KELOWNA LN. |
| Aircraft Owner City | VALLEY CENTER |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92082 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | SMF |
| Departure City | SACRAMENTO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 955 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | S98 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |