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20091023025919A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Commander A 114-B · Adrian, MI · October 23, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 23, 2009 · 16:30 local
Place
Adrian, MI
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6025U
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN10FA027
Reported as
Commander A 114-B
Reported engine
Lycoming I0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N6025URegistration cancelled Mar 22, 2011 · Commander 114-BS/N 14611 · Built 1994Airframe modelCommander 114-BEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

A Commander model 114-B, N6025U, piloted by an instrument-rated private pilot, on an IFR flight plan was destroyed during a post-impact fire following an apparent loss of control while on an instrument approach to lenawee county airport (kadg), Adrian, Michigan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed from wilkes-barre/scranton international airport (kavp), scranton, Pennsylvania, about 1323 and was en route to kadg when the accident occurred. The aircraft impacted the ground at a steep angle limiting the debris field to about a 100 square foot area. The left wing was separated from the aircraft and laying about 100 feet north of the fuselage and main debris field. Detailed aircraft inspection revealed no discrepancies with the aircraft instruments, flight controls or power plant systems. A witness reported hearing an airplane overfly his residence at a low altitude, but he was unable to see the airplane due to heavy fog in the area. He noted that the airplane had come from the north and was traveling to the southeast. He then heard the same airplane turn northbound for a short time before seeing it pass over his residence about 200-300 feet above ground level traveling to the southeast. The witness noted that the airplane's left wing had separated from the fuselage. He stated that the airplane impacted a field to the south of his residence. The closest weather reporting facility was at the destination airport (kadg), located about 6 miles southwest of the accident site. The airport was equipped with an automated surface observing system (ASOS). At 1612, the kadg ASOS reported the following weather conditions: wind 180 degrees true at 17 knots, gusting 23 knots; visibility 6 miles in mist; overcast ceiling at 700 feet AGL; temperature 14 degrees celsius; dew point 14 degrees celsius; altimeter setting 29.47 inches of mercury. Remarks: rain ended at 1611; ceiling variable between 500 and 1,200 feet AGL. At 1653, the kadg ASOS reported the following weather conditions: wind 190 degrees true at 14 knots; visibility 10 miles; overcast ceiling at 900 feet AGL; temperature 16 degrees celsius; dew point 14 degrees celsius; altimeter setting 29.46 inches of mercury. Remarks: rain ended at 1611; ceiling variable between 600 and 1,200 feet AGL.

As the FAA filed it

A COMMANDER MODEL 114-B, N6025U, PILOTED BY AN INSTRUMENT-RATED PRIVATE PILOT, ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS DESTROYED DURING A POST-IMPACT FIRE FOLLOWING AN APPARENT LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ON AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO LENAWEE COUNTY AIRPORT (KADG), ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KAVP), SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ABOUT 1323 AND WAS EN ROUTE TO KADG WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A STEEP ANGLE LIMITING THE DEBRIS FIELD TO ABOUT A 100 SQUARE FOOT AREA. THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LAYING ABOUT 100 FEET NORTH OF THE FUSELAGE AND MAIN DEBRIS FIELD. DETAILED AIRCRAFT INSPECTION REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS, FLIGHT CONTROLS OR POWER PLANT SYSTEMS. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING AN AIRPLANE OVERFLY HIS RESIDENCE AT A LOW ALTITUDE, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO HEAVY FOG IN THE AREA. HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD COME FROM THE NORTH AND WAS TRAVELING TO THE SOUTHEAST. HE THEN HEARD THE SAME AIRPLANE TURN NORTHBOUND FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE SEEING IT PASS OVER HIS RESIDENCE ABOUT 200-300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL TRAVELING TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE WITNESS NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A FIELD TO THE SOUTH OF HIS RESIDENCE.THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY WAS AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (KADG), LOCATED ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE AIRPORT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM (ASOS). AT 1612, THE KADG ASOS REPORTED THE FOLLOWING WEATHER CONDITIONS: WIND 180 DEGREES TRUE AT 17 KNOTS, GUSTING 23 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 6 MILES IN MIST; OVERCAST CEILING AT 700 FEET AGL; TEMPERATURE 14 DEGREES CELSIUS; DEW POINT 14 DEGREES CELSIUS; ALTIMETER SETTING 29.47 INCHES OF MERCURY. REMARKS: RAIN ENDED AT 1611; CEILING VARIABLE BETWEEN 500 AND 1,200 FEET AGL. AT 1653, THE KADG ASOS REPORTED THE FOLLOWING WEATHER CONDITIONS: WIND 190 DEGREES TRUE AT 14 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; OVERCAST CEILING AT 900 FEET AGL; TEMPERATURE 16 DEGREES CELSIUS; DEW POINT 14 DEGREES CELSIUS; ALTIMETER SETTING 29.46 INCHES OF MERCURY. REMARKS: RAIN ENDED AT 1611; CEILING VARIABLE BETWEEN 600 AND 1,200 FEET AGL.

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 CEN10FA027Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportAdrian, MIThe pilot did not maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation while on an instrument approach in instrument meteorological conditions.Oct 23, 2009 · Substantial damage