CHI07FA009

The airplane was operating on an instrument rules flight plan when it impacted trees and terrain during a non precision approach to the destination airport in night instrument meteorological conditions. About 1 1/2 hours before the accident, the pilot received a weather briefing that indicated expected sky conditions along the route were overcast 300-600 feet above ground level (AGL) and a present sky condition at the destination airport of an overcast ceiling at 400 feet AGL. The pilot did not file an alternate airport as required by Federal Aviation Regulations which require that the ceiling be at least 2,000 feet AGL for at least 1 hour before and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival. Sky conditions at the destination airport remained unchanged at the time the airplane was cleared for the approach. The approach minimum, for an aircraft with DME capability, was 410 feet above touchdown elevation. Radar track data for the airplane approach profile was consistent with a controlled approach. The wreckage path through the tree was consistent with a level flight attitude in a direction along the inbound approach course. Additionally, the airplane was configured with the landing gear extended and the flaps extended to 15 degrees, a configuration consistent with an initial approach configuration. No anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Advisory Circular information cites the operation pitfalls in aeronautical decision making of "Get-There-Itis" and Duck-Under Syndrome." The pilot received an Authorization For Special Issuance Of A Medical Certificate, which stipulates the following conditions for its validity, "You must promptly report any adverse changes in your medical condition or medications to the FAA Medical Appeals Section, AAM-313. You are cautioned to abide by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR's), Section 61.53, relating to physical deficiency, medication, or treatment. Because of your cardiac history, operation of aircraft is prohibited at any time new symptoms or adverse changes occur or if you experience side-effect, or require a change in medication." The pilot was reportedly having palpitations for 20 minutes at a time for the two months prior to the accident and noted being "tired" within a week of the accident, but there is no evidence that he sought medical treatment for the fatigue or palpitations. The investigation could not determine if the pilot's physical condition was a factor in the accident flight.

History of flight

On October 26, 2006, about 2212 central daylight time, a Beech 95-B55, N1832N, piloted by a private pilot, impacted trees and terrain during a non-precision approach to runway 18 (5,199 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport (LWV), Lawrenceville, Illinois. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed from Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, Indiana, about 2132 eastern standard time, en route to LWV.

The following is a partial transcript of communications between N1832N and Terra Haute FCF/AFSS Preflight-2 position (PF-2):

2044:25, PF-2, *(terre haute) flight service

2044:27, N1832N, good evening er not so good evening uh baron one eight three two november *(up) on the ground at i n d and wanna go instruments here in about thirty minutes to lawrenceville *(i'll) check the weather and file (unintelligible)

2044:43, PF-2, okay there's an airmet for occasional moderate rime or mixed icing in clouds and in precip from the freezing level to flight level two zero zero freezing level's kinda high tonight it looks like about uh ten to eleven thousand feet for that

2044:59, N1832N, wow

2045:00, PF-2, yeah ha ha *(that's) a big change

2045:02, N1832N, *(great)

2045:03, PF-2, um and then for your descent into lawrenceville there's occasional moderate turbulence below fifteen thousand uh and then uh i f r throughout the route there is low pressure dro dominating you've got uh ha ha you're sandwiched in between low two low pressure tof trofs uh one *(in the) northern part one in the southern part of the state uh and as far as uh you being in central indiana and then as you get to lawrenceville it looks like that one the lower that (unintelligible) the trof that's in the southern part of the state is laying right over lawrenceville *(area)

2045:36, N1832N, good

2045:37, PF-2, um uh on radar scattered moderate with some ve very widely scattered heavy cells moving eastward and currently for indianapolis wind one two zero at eight visibility four miles with light drizzle and mist three hundred overcast temperature eight dew point seven and altimeter two niner niner seven and um yeah that's pretty in indicative of what you'll see along your route three hundred to six hundred overcast for the ceilings all the way across and for lawrenceville let's see their automated let's see their latest one was zero one forty one zulu five minutes ago with wind one six zero at eight two miles in mist four hundred overcast temperature eleven dew point niner and altimeter two niner niner three the uh i only have one pilot report um

2046:34, N1832N, (unintelligible)

2046:35, PF-2, over shelbyville an embraer one forty five got light rime icing from twelve thousand five hundred to fifteen thousand five hundred uh looking at the forecast let's see for lawrenceville terre haute's expecting uh seven knots out of the southeast visibilities uh variable from a mile and a half to four miles in mist and uh four hundred overcast and beginning at zero three hundred zulu in a little more than an hour they're expecting some occasional thunderstorms to start moving through that area

2047:10, N1832N, are you showing any of that

2047:13, PF-2, well there's some uh about thirty miles to the west southwest of terre haute there are some uh heavy cells let me see what those tops are it looks like tops up to flight level three five zero and that that looks to be about twenty miles south of mattoon and they also *(there's a) report of some hail in that area

2047:35, N1832N, beautiful

2047:35, PF-2, uh yeah it it's um

2047:37, N1832N, so between here and lawrenceville you're looking pretty clean

2047:41, PF-2, there's uh mostly moderate with a few widely scattered heavy cells but nothing uh that look looks it looks like just showers yeah just showers between there and terre haute once you get into illinois is when you're gonna run into that well actually *(what what) you said you're leaving in half an hour that stuff may be around the terre haute area by then

2048:00, N1832N, yeah okay

2048:03, PF-2, and it looks like it's uh it's uh easy easy enough to go around it

2048:08, N1832N, okay (unintelligible)

2048:08, PF-2, (unintelligible) around to the south of it

2048:10, N1832N, okay *(i don't) have radar but i guess you guys could help me

2048:14, PF-2, yeah yeah

2048:15, N1832N, *(yeah)

2048:15, PF-2, flight watch or flight service

2048:17, N1832N, yeah

2048:19, PF-2, uh actually

2048:19, N1832N, (unintelligible) i'd like to file

2048:20, PF-2, okay go ahead

2048:22, N1832N, there's no notams at uh lawrenceville (unintelligible) is there

2048:24, PF-2, oh let me let me look at that

2048:26, N1832N, thanks

2048:33, PF-2, no lawrenceville has no notams and actually while i'm thinking of it uh flight watch is gonna close here at the top of the hour so uh just flight service will be uh available for you to

2048:45, N1832N, is that one twenty two zero

2048:47, PF-2, no that's uh flight watch they're gonna be closed uh calling us on radio it depends on where you're at but um indianapolis area's twenty two point fifty five terre haute area's twenty two point sixty five

2049:01, N1832N, okay

2049:02, PF-2, and if all else fails one twenty two point two

2049:05, N1832N, okay let's file

2049:08, PF-2, okay

2049:09, N1832N, i f r november one eight three two november it's a b e fifty five slash i *(one) eighty knots i n d say in *(about) half an hour four thousand direct lawrenceville l w v take us about thirty five minutes four hours fuel uh [pilot's name] based at lawrenceville eight one two uh eight eight two six four four eight one aboard white red trim

2049:58, PF-2, okay your flight plan's on file uh pilot reports requested flight watch or flight service

2050:04, N1832N, okay thank you

2050:05, PF-2, sure you're welcome

2050:06, N1832N, *(all right) bye bye

2050:07, PF-2, bye bye

The following is a partial transcript of communications between N1832N, Evansville Local Control (EVV LC), Eagle Flight 295 (EGF295), and an unknown agency (UNK):

2159:57, EVV LC, november one eight three to november did you check on

2200:34, N1832N, (unintelligible) one eight three two november twenty six hundred

2200:47, N1832N, evansville approach baron one eight three two november

2201:02, EVV LC, i was off line november one eight three two november did you check on

2201:07, EVV LC, eagle flight two ninety five did you hear another aircraft calling me

2201:09, EGF295, yes sir some kind of baron

2201:11 EVV LC, okay could you tell him to contact me on one two five point six it's ah three two november

2201:16, EGF295, three two november ah contact evansville on twenty five decimal six

2201:24, N1832N, evansville approach baron one eight three two november twenty six hundred

2201:28, EVV LC, baron one eight three two november evansville approach maintain two thousand six hundred till lawrenceville v o r cleared v o r runway one eight approach at lawrenceville report ah v o r outbound

2201:40, N1832N, okay can i get vectors

2201:43, EVV, i can't see you up there at twenty six hundred to give you vectors

2201:45, N1832N, okay

2202:26, EVV LC, current evansville altimeter two niner niner five

2202:31, EVV LC, three two november if you didn't get that evansville altimeter two niner niner five

2202:35, N1832N, affirmative

2203:21, EVV LC, evansville atis information foxtrot is current the wind one five zero at five visibility three and mist sky condition ceiling three hundred overcast and ah temperature one zero dew point one zero altimeter two niner niner five

2206:26, N1832N, and evansville three two