# Accident 20150204006929A: Cessna 441, Argyle, TX, February 4, 2015 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 4, 2015, 09:22 local time - Place: Argyle, TX - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.0867° N, 97.1997° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0867&lon=-97.1997&mi=10 - Aircraft: N441TG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N441TG) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 441 (registry code 2076020, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-441) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: AiResearch TPE331 series (registry code 01514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 441 - Reported engine: AIRESEARCH TPE331 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN15FA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA136) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150204006929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT 2105:40, WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS 8 MILES FROM THE FINAL APPROACH FIX (NULUX), THE APPROACH CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT TO TURN TO A HEADING OF 030 TO INTERSECT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, TO MAINTAIN 2,500 FEET MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, AND THAT THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR THE GPS RUNWAY 36 APPROACH. THE PILOT RESPONDED, "OKAY, 030 MAINTAIN 2.5 UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE APPROACH." ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE FLIGHT TURNED TO A NORTH HEADING INSTEAD OF THE ASSIGNED HEADING OF 030 DEGREES. AT 2106:17, THE APPROACH CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT TO CONTACT THE DTO TOWER CONTROLLER AND THE PILOT REPLIED WITH THE CORRECT FREQUENCY CHANGE. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED DUE NORTH UNTIL 2106:38, WHEN IT TURNED TO A 030 DEGREE COURSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENDED THROUGH 2,500 FEET MSL AT 2107:01. AT 2107:16, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DTO TOWER CONTROLLER. THE TOWER CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS 360 DEGREES AT 19 KNOTS WITH 25 KNOT GUSTS, AND THEN CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 36. THE TOWER CONTROLLER ALSO ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD RECEIVED THE PILOT REPORT (PIREP) THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE PROCEEDING CESSNA 172. THE PILOT CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED THE PIREP FROM THE APPROACH CONTROLLER. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND AS IT INTERSECTED THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND CONTINUED NORTHBOUND TOWARD NULUX. AT 2108:44, THE AUTOMATED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM ISSUED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE SYSTEM PRESENTED THE LOW ALTITUDE ALERT ON BOTH THE CONTROL TOWER AND THE APPROACH CONTROL RADAR DISPLAYS. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, AT THE TIME OF THE LOW ALTITUDE ALERT, THE AIRPLANE HAD DESCENDED TO ABOUT 1,500 FEET MSL. AT 2108:51, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT TO "... CHECK YOUR ALTITUDE, YOU ARE STILL A COUPLE OF MILES FROM THE MARKER (NULUX), AND UH BELIEVE YOUR ALTITUDE SHOULD BE ABOUT 2,100 THERE." THE PILOT REPLIED, "OKAY, GOING BACK UP." ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, FOLLOWING THE ALTITUDE ALERT, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNTIL THE FINAL RADAR RETURN, RECORDED AT 2109:11, ABOUT 2.5 MILES SOUTH OF NULUX AT 1,000 FEET MSL (ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND). AT 2109:12, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED AGAIN THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOWER THAN THE SPECIFIED MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (2,000 FEET MSL) FOR THAT SEGMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACCIDENT PILOT. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS, BASED ON AVAILABLE RADAR DATA, DURING THE TIME PERIOD 2106:43 TO 2108:43, THE AIRPLANE'S GROUND SPEED DECREASED FROM ABOUT 145 KNOTS TO 95 KNOTS AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED FROM 2,400 FEET MSL TO 1,500 FEET MSL. DURING THE FINAL 28 SECONDS OF RADAR DATA, THE AIRPLANE'S GROUND SPEED FURTHER DECREASED FROM 95 KNOTS TO 55 KNOTS, WHILE THE DESCENT RATE DECREASED FROM 1,300 FEET PER MINUTE TO 650 FEET PER MINUTE. THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS CAPTURED BY A SECURITY VIDEO CAMERA INSTALLED ON THE EXTERIOR OF A BUILDING THAT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE VIDEO CAMERA, WHICH WAS FACING WEST, CAPTURED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE'S WINGTIP NAVIGATION AND STROBE LIGHTS AS IT CROSSED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CAMERA'S FIELD OF VIEW. ACCORDING TO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE CAMERA FOOTAGE, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE CAMERA'S FIELD OF VIEW AT 2108:48 AND APPEARED TO BE IN A WINGS LEVEL DESCENT AS IT CONTINUED ACROSS THE FIRST HALF OF THE CAMERA'S LATERAL FIELD OF VIEW. AT 2109:00, THE DESCENT ANGLE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY BEFORE THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A NEAR-VERTICAL SPIRALING DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE'S NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS AND STROBES WERE NOT VISIBLE AFTER 2109:0 SEE NTSB REPORT FOR FURTHER DETAILS ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN15FA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA136), Feb 5, 2015: Cessna 441 (N441TG), Argyle, TX, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the instrument approach in night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.