Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mercer County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bluefield, West Virginia 24701
Monday, January 8, 2001 7:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot initiated an ILS approach during a period of light snow, and a ceiling of 400 feet. During the approach, a band of heavy snow, with reduced visibility, moved over the airport. The pilot reported established on the approach, then acknowledged a frequency change to the airport's common traffic advisory frequency. No further transmissions were received. Radar data revealed that the airplane joined the localizer outside the initial approach fix, and proceeded inbound, on course. Due to limited radar coverage, the last radar contact with the airplane was about 3/4 of a mile inside the final approach fix, still on course, about 1,850 feet above the airport. A witness, about 1/3 to 1/2 mile to the east of the airport, saw the airplane fly overhead at a very low altitude, then heard the engines rev up, and saw the airplane climb. The airplane disappeared into the falling snow, and the witness then heard the sound of a crash. Airplane wreckage was later found on rising terrain, about 1/2 nautical mile to the left of the runway's departure end. The landing gear and flaps were up, and the elevator was trimmed for a climb. Trees were initially cut at an ascending angle of about 5 degrees for approximately 50 feet, then a descending angle of about 5 degrees for another 250 feet. The wreckage elevation was approximately the same as the decision height for the ILS approach. There was no evidence of pre-accident mechanical failure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to execute the published missed approach procedure. A factor was heavy snowfall during the approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/8/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 700 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Bluefield |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 24701 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 371702N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0811222W |
| Event Location Airport | Mercer County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BLF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 2857 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 652 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BLF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2857 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 10409 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 8 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 13 2001 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charleston |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N123RA |
| NTSB Number | NYC01FA064 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown Origin |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 310R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 310R0221 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5500 |
| 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 | Oct 26 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 51 |
| Airframe Hours | 10697 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RADER AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 602 Lincoln Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Summersville |
| Aircraft Owner State | WV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 26651 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | BXSR |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LWB |
| Departure City | Lewisburg |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BLF |
| Destination City | Bluefield |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Missed approach (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2001 4:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 4742 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |