Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

New Vienna, Iowa 52065
Friday, March 28, 2003 15:49 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The airplane impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent from cruise flight about 22 nautical miles southwest of an en route airport. Just prior to a loss of radar/radio contact with air traffic control, the pilot was initiating a climb to a higher altitude from which he previously descended where he reported light rime icing. He reported that he wanted to get between what he described as layers. Weather data and information indicated that the airplane encountered occasional light rime or mixed icing after the pilot reported light rime icing and later encountered a patch of supercooled large droplets and accumulated moderate to severe icing before its uncontrolled descent. An AIRMET for occasional moderate rime or mixed icing was issued for an area that included the accident route of flight. The pilot logged a total actual instrument time 39.7 hours since he received his instrument rating in 1982. He logged 2.7 hours of instrument time in the last 90 days and 1.9 hours in the last 30 days before the accident. The airplane was not equipped with a wing deice system and did not have a current pitot static system check. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies which would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The improper planning/decision by the pilot to fly into forecast icing conditions with an airplane not equipped with a certified deice system. The continued flight in known icing conditions and the flight to an alternate destination not performed by the pilot were additional causes. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of qualification as an air carrier.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/28/2003
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1549
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City New Vienna
Event State IOWA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 52065
Event Date Year 2003
Event Date Month 3
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 1555 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 111
Weather Observation Facility ID DBQ
Elevation of weather observation facility 1069
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.74
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 15632
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Mar 28 2003 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1630
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jun 30 2004 12:15PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Des Moines FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1636W
NTSB Number CHI03FA094
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model A36
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number E348
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 Feb 25 2003 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Morris Hancock Flying Club
Aircraft Owner Street Address RR 1
Aircraft Owner City Morris
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 56267
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 --
Owner has at least one certificate None
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ARR
Departure City Aurora
Departure State IL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1439
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MOX
Destination City Morris
Destination State MN
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - uncontrolled
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Apr 16 2004 9:19AM
User who most recently changed record SULP
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --