Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mena, Arkansas 71953
Tuesady, March 21, 2006 10:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 1,042-hour commercial pilot and the pilot rated passenger had flown into the airport in separate airplanes. The pilot rated passenger needed to leave his airplane at a facility to be painted, and the pilot was planning to fly the pilot rated passenger back to his home airport. Prior to taking off, a witness, who worked at the airport, talked to the pilot about delaying his departure due to the low cloud layer that surrounded the airport, and even offered to drive them home. The witness sensed the pilot was in a "hurry", so he suggested that if the pilot was going to depart, he would need to takeoff on the northeast runway, head east, and climb to an altitude of 4,000 feet to clear rising terrain. Shortly after, the witness observed the airplane taxiing to the runway. About 10 minutes later he got a call from the pilot rated passenger saying they had "crashed the airplane on a mountainside." The passenger said, that after they took off, they flew for approximately 8 miles before making a left turn toward the west. The pilot remained on this heading for approximately 10 miles and tracked the highway, that traveled through a valley. As they entered the valley, the passenger (who was using his handheld GPS) informed the pilot that they needed to climb to a higher altitude so they would clear the mountainous terrain that surrounded them. When the airplane reached a certain point in the valley, the pilot made a left turn toward the south proceeded toward a low point along the ridgeline of a mountain. The airplane entered the cloud layer and subsequently collided with terrain about 200 feet below the ridgeline. A witness, who was walking along the highway, observed the airplane flying "very low" in a westerly direction between two mountains. He then observed the airplane turn toward the south and disappear into "heavy fog." Moments later, the witness heard a "loud bang." A review of FAA records revealed that the pilot did not obtain a weather briefing or file an IFR flight plan prior to their departure. According to published airport information, pilots were informed about the mountains located to the north and south-southwest of the airport. In addition, a review of the Memphis Sectional Aeronautical Chart, revealed a warning to pilots stating: "Rapidly Rising Terrain-Use Caution During Periods of Low Ceiling and Visibility." Weather reported at the airport included wind from 280 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots, visibility 10 statue miles, and an overcast layer at 1,200 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were the mountainous terrain and the low ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/21/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Mena |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71953 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 343258N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0941217W |
| Event Location Airport | Mena Intermountain Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KMEZ |
| 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 | 1079 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 927 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMEZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1079 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20431 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SWR Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 22 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2006 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Little Rock |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2160W |
| NTSB Number | DFW06LA088 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | C23 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | M-1567 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2068 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Larry Schroeder |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11727 Beasley Rd |
| Aircraft Owner City | Longmont |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80504 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KMEZ |
| Departure City | Mena |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | K2F7 |
| Destination City | Commerce |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2006 1:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |