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20111123027449A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Rockwell International 690A · Gold Canyon, AZ · November 23, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 23, 2011 · 17:32 local
Place
Gold Canyon, AZ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N690SM
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12MA046
Reported as
Rockwell International 690A
Reported engine
AiResearch TPE331-5&6SER
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
6
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,150 total57 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N690SMRegistration cancelled Apr 22, 2013 · Rockwell International 690AS/N 11337 · Built 1976Airframe modelRockwell International 690AEngine modelAiResearch TPE331-5&6SERTurbo-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.

The aircraft departed falcon field mesa AZ (ffz) from runway 04R at approximately 1826 local time in night VMC, under visual flight rules with an intended destination of safford AZ (sad), with no flight plan on file. The aircraft flew straight out until the ATCT local controller issued a "right turn approved" clearance to the flight. The aircraft flew on course east, on a heading of approximately 095 degrees. ATC data shows aircraft climbing on course and leveling off at 4500 feet MSL, staying under class b airspace, traveling at approximately 200 knots. ATC data shows that the aircraft maintained heading and altitude for approximately 1.1 nautical miles east of class b airspace restriction and impacted mountainous terrain. The accident site is at approximately 4650 ft MSL and oriented west to east. Post impact fire consumed the majority of the aircraft structure. Security video showed aircraft traveling what appeared to be straight and level until impacting the mountain, with an initial fireball below the top of the mountain and a second much larger fireball rising above the top of the mountain. The initial impact point is indicated by lateral marks in the rock formations apparently caused by the wing leading edges. After impact the wreckage traveled up a 60 degree slope for approximately 75 feet, where the wing spar, wings, and aft portions of the engines were found. Approximately 25 feet up the slope there is a vertical rock face rising approximately 150 feet. Wreckage other than the main wreckage, was distributed somewhat randomly and did not appear to be consistent with the impact velocity, density of material and resulting momentum. Some of the pieces of the wreckage were found on the other side of the 150 foot vertical rock face in the direction of flight and approximately 400 feet from the impact point. This other wreckage distribution suggested that it was caused by the explosive force of what was observed as the second fireball.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FALCON FIELD MESA AZ (FFZ) FROM RUNWAY 04R AT APPROXIMATELY 1826 LOCAL TIME IN NIGHT VMC, UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF SAFFORD AZ (SAD), WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW STRAIGHT OUT UNTIL THE ATCT LOCAL CONTROLLER ISSUED A "RIGHT TURN APPROVED" CLEARANCE TO THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW ON COURSE EAST, ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 095 DEGREES. ATC DATA SHOWS AIRCRAFT CLIMBING ON COURSE AND LEVELING OFF AT 4500 FEET MSL, STAYING UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 200 KNOTS. ATC DATA SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED HEADING AND ALTITUDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.1 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF CLASS B AIRSPACE RESTRICTION AND IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS AT APPROXIMATELY 4650 FT MSL AND ORIENTED WEST TO EAST. POST IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. SECURITY VIDEO SHOWED AIRCRAFT TRAVELING WHAT APPEARED TO BE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL UNTIL IMPACTING THE MOUNTAIN, WITH AN INITIAL FIREBALL BELOW THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AND A SECOND MUCH LARGER FIREBALL RISING ABOVE THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT IS INDICATED BY LATERAL MARKS IN THE ROCK FORMATIONS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY THE WING LEADING EDGES. AFTER IMPACT THE WRECKAGE TRAVELED UP A 60 DEGREE SLOPE FOR APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET, WHERE THE WING SPAR, WINGS, AND AFT PORTIONS OF THE ENGINES WERE FOUND. APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET UP THE SLOPE THERE IS A VERTICAL ROCK FACE RISING APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET. WRECKAGE OTHER THAN THE MAIN WRECKAGE, WAS DISTRIBUTED SOMEWHAT RANDOMLY AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE IMPACT VELOCITY, DENSITY OF MATERIAL AND RESULTING MOMENTUM. SOME OF THE PIECES OF THE WRECKAGE WERE FOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 150 FOOT VERTICAL ROCK FACE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT AND APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET FROM THE IMPACT POINT. THIS OTHER WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE EXPLOSIVE FORCE OF WHAT WAS OBSERVED AS THE SECOND FIREBALL.

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 WPR12MA046Accident · 6 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportApache Junction, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain a safe ground track and altitude combination for the moonless night visual flight rules flight, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's complacency and lack of situational…Nov 24, 2011 · Destroyed

Other reports on N690SM · 1

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

Incident 19960529018389IFinal Approach · Chicago/Wheelin, ILNarrative: Mr. Tameris completed an ILS approach to rwy 16 at pwk with a circle to rwy 34. He stated that " the bottom dropped out " on short final. Power was added to counter the sink rate and the landing was completed. Mr. Tameris stated that he was unaware…May 29, 1996 · Minor damage