What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported that the acft was out of control and going down, radar and radio contact was subsequently lost, the acft crashed and was destroyed by fire, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)on 6-25-99, while operating as a 14 CFR 135 charter flight from zepherhills, FL, to mobile, AL, king air N3019W crahsed near Munson, FL, at approximately 1016 hrs local. The flight had 1 pilot and 1 passenger aboard. There was severe weather and thunderstorms on the route of flight, with stroms of 50-55 db of radar reflectivity. The pilot apparently tried to deviate around the thunderstorms but inadvertently entered one. The pilot lost control of the the aircraft and during the descent exceeded the flight envelope of the C-90. During the high speed descent the horizontal flight control surfaces and wing outboard sections (outboard of the engine nacelles) failed due to structural overload. The C-90 crahsed inverted, with postcrash fire and no survivors. (.4)the pilot received a preflight weather briefing and was advised of thunderstorms with tops to 45,000 feet along a portion of the route of flight. En route, the pilot was advised of significant areas of heavy precipitation to which the pilot responded, 'uh roger one nine whiskey it looks like on our radar here that uh we go straight ahead we'll be all right there.' The flight was cleared to descend to 11,000 feet and the pilot requested deviation to the right for weather avoidance. The pilot made several routine radio communications while descending at a calculated average rate of descent of approximately 2,571 fpm before encountering adverse weather. During this time while descending, the calculated calibrated airspeed increased from approximately 190 knots to approximately 265 knots (the design dive speed vd). The flight encountered a level 5 weather echo then began a high rate of descent. Both horizontal stabilizers with elevators and both outer portions of both wings failed in a down direction. Examination of the flight control cables, fracture surfaces of the wings and horizontal stabilizers, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot did not request pilot reports. The design maneuvering speed of the airplane is 169 knots indicated; the POH indicates to slow to this speed for turbulence penetration.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACFT WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND GOING DOWN, RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LOST, THE ACFT CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)ON 6-25-99, WHILE OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 135 CHARTER FLIGHT FROM ZEPHERHILLS, FL, TO MOBILE, AL, KING AIR N3019W CRAHSED NEAR MUNSON, FL, AT APPROXIMATELY 1016 HRS LOCAL. THE FLIGHT HAD 1 PILOT AND 1 PASSENGER ABOARD. THERE WAS SEVERE WEATHER AND THUNDERSTORMS ON THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, WITH STROMS OF 50-55 DB OF RADAR REFLECTIVITY. THE PILOT APPARENTLY TRIED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE THUNDERSTORMS BUT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED ONE. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE THE AIRCRAFT AND DURING THE DESCENT EXCEEDED THE FLIGHT ENVELOPE OF THE C-90. DURING THE HIGH SPEED DESCENT THE HORIZONTAL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES AND WING OUTBOARD SECTIONS (OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE NACELLES) FAILED DUE TO STRUCTURAL OVERLOAD. THE C-90 CRAHSED INVERTED, WITH POSTCRASH FIRE AND NO SURVIVORS. (.4)THE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS ADVISED OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH TOPS TO 45,000 FEET ALONG A PORTION OF THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. EN ROUTE, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION TO WHICH THE PILOT RESPONDED, 'UH ROGER ONE NINE WHISKEY IT LOOKS LIKE ON OUR RADAR HERE THAT UH WE GO STRAIGHT AHEAD WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT THERE.' THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 11,000 FEET AND THE PILOT REQUESTED DEVIATION TO THE RIGHT FOR WEATHER AVOIDANCE. THE PILOT MADE SEVERAL ROUTINE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WHILE DESCENDING AT A CALCULATED AVERAGE RATE OF DESCENT OF APPROXIMATELY 2,571 FPM BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER. DURING THIS TIME WHILE DESCENDING, THE CALCULATED CALIBRATED AIRSPEED INCREASED FROM APPROXIMATELY 190 KNOTS TO APPROXIMATELY 265 KNOTS (THE DESIGN DIVE SPEED VD). THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED A LEVEL 5 WEATHER ECHO THEN BEGAN A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS WITH ELEVATORS AND BOTH OUTER PORTIONS OF BOTH WINGS FAILED IN A DOWN DIRECTION. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES, FRACTURE SURFACES OF THE WINGS AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, ENGINES, AND PROPELLERS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE PILOT DID NOT REQUEST PILOT REPORTS. THE DESIGN MANEUVERING SPEED OF THE AIRPLANE IS 169 KNOTS INDICATED; THE POH INDICATES TO SLOW TO THIS SPEED FOR TURBULENCE PENETRATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.