- Date
- January 17, 2009, 19:30 local (Jan 18, 2009, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6509TBeech 19
- Defining event
- Enroute: Structural icing
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090117001439A
- Case key
- 73254
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with icing conditions during initial climb. Contributing to the accident were the lack of visibility during the landing due to an ice covered windscreen, and the structural ice that adversely affected the flight characteristics of the airplane.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Prior to the night flight, the pilot obtained a "full, low-level weather briefing" and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. Shortly after departure, the pilot encountered icing conditions and began to experience a severe vibration in the aircraft flight controls at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot elected to return to the departure airport. During the instrument approach to land, the airplane continued to accumulate ice on the airframe, and continued toward the terrain in a 1,500 feet per minute descent. At 1,750 feet msl, the airplane "broke out of the clouds with the windscreen completely covered with ice." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 40 feet short of the runway and skidded to a stop on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the airplane's systems and powerplant revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's wings and windscreen had approximately 1 inch of ice on the respective surfaces. The pilot reported that icing conditions were not forecasted or reported prior to his flight.
Factual narrative
Prior to the night flight, the pilot obtained a "full, low-level weather briefing" and filed an instrument rules flight plan. Shortly after departure, the pilot encountered icing conditions and began to experience a severe vibration in the aircraft flight controls at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot elected to return to the departure airport. During the instrument approach to land, the airplane continued to accumulate ice on the airframe, and continued toward the terrain in a 1,500 feet per minute descent. At 1,750 feet msl, the airplane "broke out of the clouds with the windscreen completely covered with ice." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 40 feet short of the runway and skidded to a stop on the runway. Examination of the airplane's systems and powerplant revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's wings and windscreen had approximately 1 inch of ice on the respective surfaces. The pilot reported that icing conditions were not forecast or reported prior to his flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6509T
- Reported as
- Beech 19 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-349
- Airframe hours
- 5,687.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O320-E2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brian A McMillen
- Registered owner
- Brian A McMillen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 2008
- Departed
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Destination
- SBN · South Bend, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University Airport, runway 23, 4,225 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 306 total · 297 in this make and model · 264 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.