# NTSB CHI03LA267: Beech BE-76, N1812S, Hammond, MN, August 19, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 19, 2003, 00:01 local (05:01 UTC) - Place: Hammond, MN - Coordinates: 44.36111, -92.720832 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.3611&lon=-92.7208&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - DuPage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 57725 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI03LA267 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57725/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA267 ## Probable cause The pilot exceeded the design limits of the wings when he pulled out of an inadvertent spiral after he lost control of the airplane while operating in IMC conditions. Additional factors included the pilot's flight from VMC to IMC conditions, the turbulence in clouds, and lightning. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - flight into adverse weather - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - flight into adverse weather - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - lightning (contributing factor) - weather condition - turbulence in clouds (contributing factor) - weather condition - thunderstorm (contributing factor) - Loss of control - in flight, cruise - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - airspeed - exceeded, pilot in command - spiral - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - design stress limits of aircraft - exceeded, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage during a departure from controlled flight and subsequent recovery while in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that he was attempting to remain in visual meteorological conditions by deviating around thunderstorms. He reported the flight was at 7,000 feet mean seal level when the airplane entered a cloud. The pilot stated he "had been hand flying the airplane for several minutes when we hit a couple of waves of heavier turbulence followed by nearby lightning flash." The pilot reported the heavier turbulence resulted in an altitude loss of approximately 100 feet. The pilot was reportedly attempting to correct for the altitude loss when the airplane departed from controlled flight. The pilot reported he felt the airplane had entered a spiral/spin. He stated he was able to recover, returned to level flight, and continued on to his destination at the assigned altitude. He made an uneventful landing. He departed the airplane and discovered the airplane's wings were "wrinkled". ## Factual narrative On August 19, 2003, at 0001 central daylight time, a Beech BE-76, N1812S, sustained substantial damage during a departure from controlled flight and subsequent recovery near Hammond, Minnesota. The private pilot and two passengers reported no injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The flight departed Watertown Municipal Airport (ATY), Watertown, South Dakota, on August 18, 2003, at 2216, with Quad City Airport (MLI), Moline, Illinois, as the destination airport. According to the pilot's written statement, he did not fly a direct route to MLI due to thunderstorms that extended from northeast Nebraska to southwest Minnesota. The pilot stated his route of flight was ATY to St. Cloud, Minnesota, and then to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He reported the route of flight was intended to circumnavigate the line of thunderstorms and to remain in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The pilot stated that the flight was at 7,000 feet mean seal level (msl) on a 130 magnetic heading when the airplane entered a cloud and experienced IMC conditions and light turbulence. The pilot reported that he disengaged the autopilot subsequent to entering IMC. The pilot stated he "had been hand flying the airplane for several minutes when we hit a couple of waves of heavier turbulence followed by nearby lightning flash." The pilot reported the heavier turbulence resulted in an altitude loss of approximately 100 feet. The pilot stated he attempted a minor control input to correct for the loss of altitude and the airplane departed from controlled flight. The pilot reported, "The airspeed indicator went full scale deflection up, despite retarding throttles, and [the] VSI was full scale deflection down. I felt that we were in a spiral/spin and I attempted to reverse this, but also felt largely unsuccessful in my efforts. We exited the clouds in a vertical nose down orientation without rotation/spin. An aggressive control input was made to arrest the descent and then a climb was started." The pilot regained control of the airplane after losing approximately 4,000 feet. He reported that he was unaware of what actions he took to recover from the spin, but he was able to return to level flight and continue on to his destination at the assigned altitude. He made an uneventful landing at MLI. When he departed the airplane he discovered substantial "wrinkled" damage to the airplane's wings. ## Aircraft - Registration: N1812S (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Beech BE-76 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: ME-416 - Airframe hours: 4851 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1G6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Kevin P. Wilson - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 4, 2002, 211 hours before - Departed: ATY, WATERTOWN, SD - Destination: MLI, MOLINE, IL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review July 21, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 978 total, 639 in this make and model, 844 as pilot in command, 53 in the last 90 days, 43 in the last 30 days, 11 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 220° at 15 knots - Visibility: 8 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: RST, 12 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030819028779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030819028779A), Aug 19, 2003: Beech 76, Hammond, MN, Substantial damage. (-23) At approx. 0001 CST on 8/19/03 a BE-076 lost control while deviating around thunderstorms with tops reported at FL500. The aircraft was in cruise flight… 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. --- 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.