CHI00FA123

The airplane impacted the water in about a 60 degree nose down attitude. The flight occurred during marginal VFR weather at night. The pilot had made an unscheduled landing and obtained a weather brief and filed an IFR flight plan. VFR flight was not recommended. About 30 minutes prior to the accident, ATC instructed the pilot to descend at pilot's discretion to 4,000 feet and report the airport in sight for a visual approach. The pilot acknowledged the instructions and descended to 4,000 feet. The pilot made no further transmissions. Radar contact was lost about 11 nautical miles south of the airport at 3,800 feet msl. The pilot had a total of about 12 hours of actual instrument time and a total of about 50 hours of night time. At 2153, the weather was: Winds 200 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, light rain showers, few clouds at 1,000 feet, broken at 1,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.95. The wreckage path covered a distance of approximately 310 feet, oriented to the north, and in two to three feet of water. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-existing anomalies.

History of flight

On April 26, 2000, at 2155 central daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N1978Q, operated by Priority Air, Inc., was destroyed when it impacted the water in a slough located approximately 7.75 nautical miles south of the Watertown Municipal Airport (ATY), Watertown, South Dakota. The airplane was found in about 3 feet of water and 20 feet from the shoreline of the slough. The bearing to the airport was about 353 degrees. The commercial pilot received fatal injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight had departed the Joe Foss Airport (FSD), Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 2119 and was en route to ATY where the airplane was based. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at ATY. The airplane was on an IFR flight plan.

The operator reported the pilot had departed ATY about 1430 on April 26, 2000, on a 14 CFR Part 135 flight to Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), Grand Island, Nebraska. The operator reported that on the return positioning flight, the pilot departed GRI en route to ATY on a 14 CFR Part 91 VFR flight plan. N1978Q made an unscheduled landing at FSD. The pilot contacted the Huron Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) for a weather brief, and filed an IFR flight plan at FSD to fly direct to ATY located 81 nautical miles north.

The AFSS weather briefer informed the pilot that a trough line that ran north and south was moving eastward across the state. Thunderstorms and rain showers were in front of the trough line in the eastern part of the state. Moderate turbulence could be expected below 7,000 feet. A pilot report indicated a freezing level at 10,000 feet. There were no convective SIGMETS for the area. Radar indicated light precipitation along the route of flight from FSD to ATY. Thunderstorms were located 30 to 40 miles west of the route of flight in the Mitchell, South Dakota, area, and were moving east at 8 to 10 knots. VFR flight was not recommended.

The AFSS weather briefer reported that the en route forecast for eastern South Dakota was occasional ceilings 3,000 feet, scattered 3 mile visibility, thunderstorms and light rain showers. The terminal forecast for ATY was winds 230 degrees at 10 knots, greater than 6 miles visibility, light rain, scattered clouds at 1,400 feet, overcast 4,500 feet; and occasionally 3 miles visibility, light rain, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, overcast 1,400 feet. Winds aloft in the ATY area at 3,000 feet were 250 degrees at 8 knots, and at 6,000 feet were 270 degrees at 13 knots.

The pilot filed an IFR flight plan to takeoff at 2115 and fly direct from FSD to ATY at 6,000 feet.

N1978Q departed FSD. At 2129:36, N1978Q contacted Minneapolis Center and reported checking in at 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl).

At 2135:59, Minneapolis Center stated, "November Seven Eight Quebec, descend pilot's discretion four thousand. Report Watertown Airport in sight for a visual. The wind two one zero at seven. Altimeter is 29.96."

At 2136:10, the pilot reported, "P D down to four, Seven Eight Quebec."

There were no further transmissions from N1978Q.

At 2153:55, radar contact was lost on N1978Q, approximately 11 nautical miles south of ATY. The last radar altitude readout indicated 3,800 feet msl.

At 2154:30, Minneapolis Center tried contacting N1978Q, without success. Minneapolis Center initiated procedures to locate N1978Q.

A witness who lived about one mile west of the accident site reported hearing an airplane crash. He reported that the airplane made a loud roaring noise or revving sound, and that it sounded "like it was banking." He then heard the loud sound of the impact. He did not see the airplane or any explosion.

The airplane was located at approximately 2300 in the "Five Ponds" area about 7.75 miles south of ATY.

Personnel information

The pilot was a commercially rated pilot with single engine land and helicopter ratings. He held instrument and instrument instructor ratings in single engine land airplanes. He was a Certified Flight Instructor in single engine land airplanes and helicopters. He held a Second Class medical certificate.

The pilot had a total of about 566 hours of flight time. Seventeen hours were in multi-engine airplanes. He had flown about 39 hours in the accident airplane in the last 90 days. He had a total of about 12 hours of actual instrument time, all of which had been flown in the last 90 days. He had a total of about 50 hours of night time with 16 hours flown in the last 90 days.

The operator reported the pilot was hired on November 29, 1999. The pilot was initially hired to be an instructor pilot. On March 29, 2000, the pilot completed a Part 135 check ride in a Cessna 177RG and was designated as a Part 135 "single engine VFR only" pilot.

The operator reported the pilot flew small parcels in N1978Q and in a Cessna 172. He reported the pilot was familiar with the airplanes because he also instructed students in the airplanes.

Aircraft information

The airplane was a single engine Cessna 177RG, serial number 177RG0378. The airplane seated four and had a maximum gross weight of 2,800 pounds. The engine was a 200 horsepower Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D engine. The last annual inspection was conducted on September 1, 1999. The airplane had flown about 84 hours since the last inspection and had a total time of 3,513 hours.

Meteorological information

At 2053, the ATY weather was: Winds 210 at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 1,000 feet, scattered at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.96.

At 2141, the ATY weather was: Winds 200 at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, light rain showers, scattered at 1,800 feet, overcast at 2,400 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.95.

At 2153, the ATY weather was: Winds 200 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, light rain showers, few clouds at 1,000 feet, broken at 1,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.95.

At 2213, the ATY weather was: Winds 220 at 6 knots, 5 miles visibility, rain showers, mist, few clouds at 800 feet, broken at 1,600 feet, overcast at 3,800 feet, temperature 52 degrees F, dew point 50 degrees F, altimeter 29.95.

Aids to navigation

The ATY ILS RWY 35 approach plate depicts the inbound approach course as 354 degrees. The Final Approach Fix for the localizer approach is located 5.9 nautical miles from the end of runway 35. The Procedure Turn Inbound altitude was 4,000 feet msl, and the ILS glideslope intercept altitude is 3,800 feet. The airport elevation is 1,748 feet.

Wreckage and Impact Information

The airplane wreckage was located in a slough in the Five Ponds area about 7.75 nautical miles from the ATY airport at coordinates N 44 degrees, 47.139 minutes, and W 097 degrees, 8.064 minutes. The magnetic bearing to the airport was about 353 degrees. The wreckage path covered a distance of approximately 310 feet, oriented to the north, and in two to three feet of water.

The main wreckage included the empennage, fuselage, cockpit, and wings. The wings and wing carry-through had separated from the fuselage in one piece and was located about six feet north of the fuselage. The empennage, fuselage, and cabin exhibited compression and buckling. The left and right cockpit doors exhibited a crush angle of approximately 60 degrees nose down.

The leading edges of the left and right wings exhibited crushing and buckling along the entire span of the wings. The right inboard top wing skin and fueling port was found located on the right side of the wreckage path about 107 feet from the main wreckage. The left inboard top wing skin and fueling port was found located on the left side of the wreckage path about 117 feet from the main wreckage.

The engine was located under the main wreckage and was partially buried in the mud