Notes No Mechanical Problems With Aircraft
Editor's Note:
Below is the unedited text of the National Transportation Safety
Board's preliminary report on the February 1 downing of a King Air
C90A near Elkins, NC. As ANN reported,
six persons onboard were killed after the King Air missed its first
approach to Mount Airy Airport (MWK) and crashed as it circled
back.
Notably, the NTSB has found no evidence of mechanical issues
with the accident aircraft -- and confirmed hard IFR conditions
prevailed at the airport at the time of the crash.
NTSB Identification: NYC08MA090
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, February 01, 2008 in Mount Airy, NC
Aircraft: Raytheon Aircraft Corporation C90A, registration:
N57WR
Injuries: 6 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may
contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when
the final report has been completed.
On February 1, 2008, about 1128 eastern standard time, a
Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A, N57WR, was substantially damaged
when it impacted terrain while executing the missed approach for
the Global Positioning System (GPS) approach to runway 36 at Mount
Airy/Surry County Airport (MWK), Mount Airy, North Carolina. The
certificated commercial pilot and the five passengers were fatally
injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an
instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight,
which departed Polk County Airport/Cornelius Moore Field (4A4),
Cedartown, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code
of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to witness statements, rain, low cloud ceilings, and
fog were present in the local area. The pilot was first heard to
check in on MWK's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), and
announce "final 36, Mount Airy." The airplane was then observed to
"break out of the clouds" at approximately 500 feet above ground
level, in close proximity to the airport, and then descend
"rapidly" for about 200 feet. It was then observed to "side step"
to the left of the runway, and fly parallel to it for its entire
length. The airplane then made a "hard" left turn at the end of the
runway and climbed into the "fog." A few minutes later, it came out
of the bottom of the clouds in a nose down attitude, disappeared
behind trees east of the airport, and the sound of impact was
heard.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) preliminary
air traffic control voice, and radar plot data, the airplane
departed 4A4 at approximately 1024 and arrived in the vicinity of
MWK approximately 50 minutes later.
After arrival in the local area, the pilot contacted Greensboro
Approach and advised the controller that he was level at 4,000 feet
above mean sea level (msl) on a northeast-bound track toward MWK.
The controller then instructed the pilot to maintain 4,000 feet msl
until crossing the EDLIF waypoint, fly the GPS approach to runway
36 at MWK, and switch to the CTAF for the airport.
Radar data obtained from the terminal radar approach control
facility at Greensboro, North Carolina, contained recorded radar
targets for the accident airplane from 1112 until 1128. During the
GPS approach to runway 36, the airplane was recorded tracking
inbound to the airport. The last radar target on final was recorded
at 1125:40, at 2,000 feet msl, approximately 1.25 nautical miles
from the runway 36 threshold. No more radar targets were recorded
until 1127:49, when the target representing the airplane reappeared
on radar on a left base leg at 2,300 feet msl. It then continued to
turn left to about a 020-degree heading, overfly the threshold of
runway 36 at 2,300 feet, and continue on a 020-degree heading for
another 14 seconds. The last target was recorded to the east of the
airport 0.6 nautical miles south of the accident site, at 2,700
feet msl.
The accident occurred
during the hours of daylight. The wreckage was located at 36
degrees, 27.797 minutes north latitude, 80 degrees, 33.042 minutes
west longitude, at an elevation of 1,219 feet msl.
The airplane came to rest in a residential area, upright on a
magnetic heading of 200 degrees. Its angle of impact was
approximately 45 degrees nose down. The fuel system was compromised
in multiple locations and the ground around the wreckage was fuel
soaked. No debris path existed, and the initial impact point was
collocated with the remains of the airplane. All major components
of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.
Examination of the wreckage on scene revealed no evidence of any
preimpact malfunctions, structural failures, or in-flight fire.
Evidence did indicate that the landing gear was in the extended
position prior to impact, and the flaps were in the approach
position. Both propellers displayed S-bending, and no anomalies
were identified with either engine. The rudder trim tab actuator
correlated to 1 to 2 degrees of right rudder trim. The elevator
trim actuators were measured and found to be in a position which
correlated to 6 to 7 degrees nose up trim, and the electric pitch
trim was off.
According to FAA records, the pilot held a commercial pilot
certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, airplane
single engine land, and instrument airplane. He reported 780 total
hours of flight experience on his most recent application for an
FAA second-class medical certificate, dated August 6, 2007.
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 2005.
According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent
manufacturer's recommended inspection program, phase inspection,
was completed on November 9, 2007. At that time the airplane had
accrued 799.7 total hours of operation.
A weather observation taken about 13 minutes after the accident,
included; calm winds, visibility 2 and 1/2 miles in heavy drizzle,
a broken cloud layer at 300 feet, an overcast cloud layer at 600
feet, temperature 1 degree Celsius (C), dew point 0 degrees C, and
an altimeter setting of 29.90 inches of mercury.
The wreckage was retained by the National Transportation Safety
Board for further examination.