Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Philip Billard Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Topeka, Kansas 66616
Friday, April 22, 2011 12:13 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was cleared for a localizer approach to the airport in instrument conditions. However, the pilot overshot the final approach course and decided to perform a missed approach. While climbing during the missed approach, the pilot requested and was cleared to fly a global positioning satellite (GPS) approach to the airport. The pilot was maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to set up for the GPS approach when the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted terrain. The airplane fragmented and a postcrash fire ensued. Crush angles on fragmented pieces of the airplane indicated the airplane struck the ground in a left descending turn at high speed. Radar data showed the airplane maneuvering north-northeast of the airport in a left descending turn before it disappeared from radar. The weather conditions at the airport at the time of the accident were reported as a 500-foot overcast ceiling and 10 miles visibility. According to the pilot’s records, in the 5 months since he received his instrument rating, he had logged 0.7 hours of instrument time. His total time logged as flying in actual instrument conditions was 11 hours. Additionally, the pilot received his multiengine airplane rating 2 months before the accident and had logged 28.7 total hours of multiengine airplane flight time. It is likely that that the pilot became disoriented while maneuvering in IMC to set up for the GPS approach and lost control of the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s minimal experience flying in actual instrument conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/22/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1213 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Topeka |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 66616 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 390723N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0953517W |
| Event Location Airport | Philip Billard Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TOP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 881 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1219 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TOP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 881 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| 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) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.66 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | SPECI KTOP 221719Z 34007KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC005 13/12 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30577 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2012 3:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N580EA |
| NTSB Number | CEN11FA302 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 58 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TH-316 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4624.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PRECISION AG & SEED SERVICES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1550 W ROAD 70 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SCOTT CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67871-5115 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | PRECISION AG & SEED SERVICES LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1550 W ROAD 70 |
| Operator City | SCOTT CITY |
| Operator State | KS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 67871-5115 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | TQK |
| Departure City | Scott City |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | TOP |
| Destination City | Topeka |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2012 5:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 5099 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |