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19961114035749A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 310I · Van Nuys, CA · November 14, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 14, 1996 · 01:19 local
Place
Van Nuys, CA
Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
A3XA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8046M
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97FA036
Reported as
Cessna 310I
Reported engine
Continental IO470V
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,577 total62 in this make and model
N8046MRegistration cancelled Jun 17, 1997 · Cessna 310IS/N 310I0046Airframe modelCessna 310I

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Entered fog bank on approach. Impact on taxiway struck 5 parked planes. Had failed airline IFR check prior. Wx zero (.19) on November 14, 1996, at 0119 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 310I, N8046M, operated by aex air, mesa, Arizona, collided with five unoccupied parked airplanes following a loss of control during a missed approach at the Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, California. The airplane was destroyed, and the airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The on-demand air taxi flight was operated under 14 CFR 135 and originated from north las vegas, Nevada, on November 13, 1996, at 1147. The airplane was discovered by an airport officer during his routine patrol at 0530. The pilot was en route to the burbank, California, municipal airport where he was scheduled to deliver 224 pounds of bank checks. The weather conditions at burbank deteriorated, and the pilot diverted to Van Nuys. At 0108:35, a southern California TRACON (sct) radar controller informed the pilot that two other airplanes had recently reported that the weather condition at Van Nuys was VFR. The sct radar controller issued an IFR clearance to the pilot for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 16R at the Van Nuys Airport. The pilot acknowledged the clearance and commenced the approach. The last radio transmission from the pilot was recorded at 0116:47, when the pilot informed the sct controller that he "has the airport in sight." Several persons noted the local airport weather conditions near the time of the accident. They reported the surface visibility at Van Nuys varied between near zero-zero conditions and 1 mile. One witness reported seeing a fog bank moving over the airport. At 0119, an airport officer located near the approach end of runway 16R estimated the visibility was not over 0.25 miles.

As the FAA filed it

ENTERED FOG BANK ON APPROACH. IMPACT ON TAXIWAY STRUCK 5 PARKED PLANES. HAD FAILED AIRLINE IFR CHECK PRIOR. WX ZERO (.19) ON NOVEMBER 14, 1996, AT 0119 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 310I, N8046M, OPERATED BY AEX AIR, MESA, ARIZONA, COLLIDED WITH FIVE UNOCCUPIED PARKED AIRPLANES FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING A MISSED APPROACH AT THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT, VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED, AND THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 135 AND ORIGINATED FROM NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, ON NOVEMBER 13, 1996, AT 1147. THE AIRPLANE WAS DISCOVERED BY AN AIRPORT OFFICER DURING HIS ROUTINE PATROL AT 0530. THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHERE HE WAS SCHEDULED TO DELIVER 224 POUNDS OF BANK CHECKS. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT BURBANK DETERIORATED, AND THE PILOT DIVERTED TO VAN NUYS. AT 0108:35, A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON (SCT) RADAR CONTROLLER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT TWO OTHER AIRPLANES HAD RECENTLY REPORTED THAT THE WEATHER CONDITION AT VAN NUYS WAS VFR. THE SCT RADAR CONTROLLER ISSUED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO THE PILOT FOR AN INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS) APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16R AT THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE AND COMMENCED THE APPROACH. THE LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM THE PILOT WAS RECORDED AT 0116:47, WHEN THE PILOT INFORMED THE SCT CONTROLLER THAT HE "HAS THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT." SEVERAL PERSONS NOTED THE LOCAL AIRPORT WEATHER CONDITIONS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THEY REPORTED THE SURFACE VISIBILITY AT VAN NUYS VARIED BETWEEN NEAR ZERO-ZERO CONDITIONS AND 1 MILE. ONE WITNESS REPORTED SEEING A FOG BANK MOVING OVER THE AIRPORT. AT 0119, AN AIRPORT OFFICER LOCATED NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 16R ESTIMATED THE VISIBILITY WAS NOT OVER 0.25 MILES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97FA036Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportVan Nuys, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain a climb following initiation of a missed approach in fog due to spatial disorientation, and his inadequate training by company personnel. Potential rescue was delayed due to the FAA radar controller's failure to follow…Nov 14, 1996 · Destroyed

Other reports on N8046M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19840118032909INormal Cruise · Gainesville, FLRough engine shut down. After landing found #2 cylinder studs failed at crankcase attachment.Jan 18, 1984 · Minor damage