CHI06FA117

The airplane crashed into trees about 1/2-mile from the approach end of runway 35 while the aircraft was conducting a precision instrument approach in night instrument weather. The flight's plotted radar data was consistent with an airplane that was being vectored for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach. The radar track depicted the aircraft flying above glide path and to the right of course until radar contact was lost at 2,000 feet at 2338:34 about two and a half miles from the approach end of the runway. About 2345, the Sheriff responded to telephone calls of a possible airplane crash. A witness described the airplane sounds as an engine acceleration, followed by a thud, and then no more engine sounds were heard. The airport's weather about the time of the accident was: Wind 230 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 1 statute mile; present weather mist; sky condition overcast 100 feet. The published decision height for the approach was 200 feet agl and one-half mile visibility. A post accident inspection of the ILS determined the ILS was operating normally. The tower did not record after hour radio transmissions. An on-scene examination of the aircraft wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. A review of data from an engine monitor showed a reduction in fuel flow consistent with a descent followed by an increase in fuel flow consistent with a full power setting.

History of flight

On April 20, 2006, about 2345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna U206G, N120HS, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain while on approach to runway 35 at the Monroe County Airport (BMG), near Bloomington, Indiana. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was on file and was activated. The pilot and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Purdue University Airport (LAF), near Lafayette, Indiana, about 2245.

The person representing N120HS contacted the Terre Haute, Indiana, federal contract facility automated flight service station (AFSS) to get a weather briefing about 2213. The AFSS briefer at position "PF-3" gave the following brief, in part, to the pilot:

2213:25 PF-3 terre haute flight service

2213:27 N120HS hi i'd like to get a weather briefing

2213:29 PF-3 yes ma'am

2213:30 N120HS um lafayette lima alpha foxtrot and

bloomington bravo mike golf and any interesting

weather that might be between them

2213:39 PF-3 okay uh what's the aircraft call sign you're using

2213:42 N120HS november one two zero hotel sierra

2213:45 PF-3 and what time are you leaving lafayette

2213:47 N120HS we will probably be leaving in about

twenty minutes to half an hour

2213:58 PF-3 okay and is this a v f r flight or i f r

2214:02 N120HS for v f r

2214:03 PF-3 v f r only

2214:05 N120HS *(ho ho) wait i'm sorry go ahead

2214:08 PF-3 is that v f r only

2214:10 N120HS yes yes sir well depending on what the

weather's like

2214:13 PF-3 okay well we do have an airmet for i f r for the

southern portion of indiana now

0214:18 N120HS okay

0214:19 PF-3 and they're saying that that may continue the rest

of the evening into early tomorrow morning and

2214:23 N120HS okay

2214:23 PF-3 looking at the bloomington weather they do

have i f r ceilings eight hundred broken right

now with visibility eight miles

2214:30 N120HS *(okay)

2214:30 PF-3 so i wouldn't recommend v f r

2214:32 N120HS okay well

2214:33 PF-3 uh

2214:33 N120HS definitely not i'm sorry i got i looked at

the *(tafs they) didn't predict that okay

can i file an i f r flight plan with you

2214:39 PF-3 sure would you like me to continue with the rest

of the weather and and all that

2214:42 N120HS yeah that would that would be great

2214:44 PF-3 okay uh that's the only airmet uh going down that

way for you uh looks like a low pressure system

we've got uh one in western kentucky tennessee

another one's up around the chicago area *(it's a)

stationary front running from that one across

northern indiana and ohio and then uh high pressure

over to our east precip uh nothing really along that

route there is some in southeastern indiana but it

shouldn't affect your flight at all

2215:08 N120HS *(okay)

2215:08 PF-3 at lafayette uh the winds are two eighty at four ten

miles skies clear below twelve thousand sixteen and

seven and two nine nine one that's an automated

report en route looking at a few clouds at thirteen

thousand with niner miles and then again in the

bloomington area winds two forty at three eight miles

ceiling eight hundred broken seventeen and sixteen

and two nine nine four that's also an automated report

at bloomington and i don't see any uh pilot reports right

now along that route for you the forecast lafayette was

saying the rest of the evening a few clouds at six

thousand winds three ten at five en route uh calling for

*(uh) it looks like three thousand scattered six to ten

thousand broken to overcast they were saying

occasional showers in central indiana til zero three

hundred though there's nothing really showing

except for a little northeast of indy and then uh

for the bloomington area uh six hundred broken five

thousand overcast visibility better than six winds

one sixty at four now they were saying within an

hour you might see six hundred scattered five in

mist around bloomington four hun four thousand

broken and winds one fifty at four but the airmet

was calling for i f r to continue the rest of the night

into early tomorrow

2216:26 N120HS boy am i glad i called you wow

2216:27 PF-3 and

2216:28 N120HS okay

2216:28 PF-3 and then winds aloft uh would you like three and six for those

2216:32 N120HS um just three please

2216:33 PF-3 three thousand you're looking at light and variable

winds at three thousand

2216:37 N120HS okay great

2216:38 PF-3 and notams uh lafayette r c o one two two three

five is out of service

2216:44 PF-3 and uh it says the class d surface area and uh

tower only available through zero one hundred daily

down at Bloomington uh showing tower and class d

surface area available through zero one thirty daily and

three five pilot controlled lighting is out of service at

bloomington indiana and otherwise en route i don't see

anything else en route for you notam d wise as far as

t f rs no unpublished t f rs along that route at this time

2217:15 N120HS *(great)

2217:15 PF-3 *(we'd) appreciate uh pilot reports flight watch is shut down for

the evening but any any flight service frequencies along the route

for you would you like to go ahead and file then

2217:24 N120HS yes sir

2217:25 PF-3 okay i'm ready to copy

2217:26 N120HS (unintelligible) november one two zero

hotel sierra it's a cessna two oh six slash alpha airspeed a

hundred and a hundred and thirty knots flying at three

thousand feet departing lafayette lima alpha foxtrot

lafayette direct bloomington indiana bravo mike golf

five on board three hours of fuel the aircraft is based in

south bend pilots name ... and aircraft is red white and blue

2218:12 PF-3 (unintelligible) uh what's your time en route from

lafayette to bloomington

2218:15 N120HS time on route forty minutes

2218:19 PF-3 and you say you're leaving in just a few minutes

i put that out for zero two thirty that's on the half hour

2218:23 N120HS *(perfect)

The transcript of the weather briefing showed that the pilot did not give an alternate airport to the briefer when the flight plan was filed. The briefer did not ask for an alternate airport and was not required to ask for one.

About 2319, the pilot checked on with the Air Route Traffic Control Center controller working the Shelbyville, Indiana, sector (SHB R). The transcript of their transmissions, in part, stated:

2319:57 N120HS indy center november one two zero hotel

sierra is with you at five thousand

2320:01 SHB R november one two zero hotel sierra

indianapolis center roger how do you

hear center

2320:04 N120HS ah loud and clear

2320:05 SHB R okay and ah what type of approach are

you going to shoot into bloomington

this morning or this evening

2320:11 N120HS we'd like to go for a runway three five

six ah i l s

2320:14 SHB R i l s three five okay you can expect that

ah one two zero hotel sierra do you have

the ah asos weather

2320:19 N120HS yes sir

2320:20 SHB R all right

2323:11 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra you're one

two miles north of bloomington cross

bloomington at or above two thousand six

hundred cleared for the i l s runway three

five approach report procedure turn inbound

2323:23 N120HS oh any way we can have vectors to the---ah

final course

2323:26 SHB R not a problem at all ma'am what's your heading

2323:30 N120HS