- Date
- February 7, 2001, 14:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Mitchell, SD
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N10ETCessna 310Q
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010207009959A
- Case key
- 51804
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 disregarded the aircraft limitation placard, and attempted flight into known adverse weather after receiving a hazardous weather advisory. Factors to the accident were the ice-covered cockpit windshield, the ice-covered runway, and the snowbank.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During cruise flight the aircraft encountered icing-conditions andthe pilot elected to divert to a near-by airport. During the landing attempt, the aircraft slid into a snowbank, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot stated, "Trying to get on top after being cleared to 14,000 msl I decided it was better [to] land. Clearance was given for VOR 12 [instrument] approach at Mitchell S.D. [Mitchell Municipal Airport]. Due to poor forward visibility due to ice on the windshield, I landed on a very icy runway and slid into plowed snow, causing damage [to] the plane." According to records provided from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records from Huron Automated Flight Service Station, the pilot had received a standard weather briefing prior to the accident flight. According to a transcript of the weather briefing, the Huron-AFSS briefer informed the pilot that there was, "moderate rime or mixed icing in clouds and in precipitation below flight level one eight zero for your entire route". At the completion of the standard weather briefing the pilot filed an instrument flight plan for a flight from Sioux Falls to Rapid City. Postaccident investigation of the airplane revealed a placard located on the instrument panel that stated, "Warning - Not Certified For Flight Into Known Icing Conditions".
Factual narrative
On February 7, 2001, at 1455 central standard time, a Cessna 310Q, N10ET, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during landing roll when the airplane slid off runway 12 (6,700 feet by 100 feet, ice-covered/asphalt) at the Mitchell Municipal Airport, Mitchell, South Dakota. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was on an active instrument flight plan. The pilot and his three passengers reported no injuries. The flight had departed from the Joe Foss Field Airport, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at 1406.
According to the pilot's written statement, he was en route from Sioux Falls to Rapid City when he encountered icing-conditions at 6,000-feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot reported, "Trying to get on top after being cleared to 14,000 msl I decided it was better [to] land. Clearance was given for VOR 12 [instrument] approach at Mitchell S.D. [Mitchell Municipal Airport]. Due to poor forward visibility due to ice on the windshield, I landed on a very icy runway and slid into plowed snow, causing damage [to] the plane."
According to records provided from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records from Huron Automated Flight Service Station, the pilot had received a standard weather briefing prior to the accident flight. According to a transcript of the weather briefing, the Huron-AFSS briefer informed the pilot that there was, "moderate rime or mixed icing in clouds and in precipitation below flight level one eight zero for your entire route". At the completion of the standard weather briefing the pilot filed an instrument flight plan for a flight from Sioux Falls to Rapid City. A copy of the transcript is appended to this factual report.
Postaccident investigation of the airplane revealed a placard located on the instrument panel that stated, "Warning - Not Certified For Flight Into Known Icing Conditions". A photo of the placard is appended to this factual report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10ET
- Reported as
- Cessna 310Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310Q0415
- Airframe hours
- 3,956.4
- Engines
- Continental IO-420-V0, 260 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental IO-420-V0, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 2000 · 45.9 hours before
- Departed
- FSD · Sioux Falls, SD
- Destination
- MHE · Mitchell, SD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MHE · Mitchell Municipal Airport, runway 12, 6,700 × 100 ft, ice
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- May 1, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,674 total · 1,038 in this make and model · 1,543 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 2.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- MHE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2001, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 984 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.