CHI07FA068

The pilot was dispatched on a nonscheduled cargo flight to an airport other than his usual destination because it had a precision instrument approach, while his usual destination airport did not. The pilot elected to fly to his usual airport, and attempted a nonprecision instrument approach. The airport had both a VOR and an NDB approach. The NDB approach was noted as being out of service, although there was still a radio signal coming from the navigation aid. The pilot was cleared for the VOR approach, although instrumentation inside the cockpit was found set for the NDB approach, and radar track data disclosed that the flight path was consistent with the NDB approach path, not the VOR's. The airport's reported weather was 1.25 miles visibility, with a 200-foot overcast in mist. The airport's minimum NDB approach altitude is 652 feet above touchdown height. The airplane did not reach the runway, and collided with a pole and a building. Inspection of the airplane disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.

History of flight

On February 8, 2007, about 0225 mountain standard time, a Cessna 208B, N1116Y, operated by Suburban Air Freight Inc., sustained substantial damage on impact with a building and terrain during a non-precision approach to runway 12 at the Alliance Municipal Airport (AIA), near Alliance, Nebraska. The non-scheduled domestic cargo flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 135. 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 commercial pilot sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized. The flight originated from Eppley Airfield (OMA), near Omaha, Nebraska, about 2345, and was dispatched to the Western Nebraska Regional Airport/William B. Heilig Field (BFF), near Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The operator's accident report, in part, stated:

Scheduled U.S. Mail route operating AIA - LBF [North Platte,

Nebraska] - OMA, OMA - AIA. Due to low IFR conditions and

preceding night's aircraft diverting to, and remaining at CDR,

(Chardon, Nebraska), and being unable to position into AIA for the

evening departure, decision was made to leave the first [airplane] at

CDR overnight, and simply fly a [second airplane] from OMA - BFF

where [weather] was suitable for ILS [instrument landing system]

approach. Only non-precision approaches, with higher minimums,

are available at AIA. Thus, the accident [airplane] was dispatched

to take mail directly to BFF, which has precision approaches (ILS),

and the U.S. Mail truck was to meet the aircraft at BFF. That is a

normal procedure for occasions when AIA is below non-precision

landing conditions. All scheduled flights operate on "canned" flight

plans which are on file. ... The flight from OMA to either BFF or

AIA proceeds along the identical route until west of North Platte,

Nebraska. ... The change is typically only requested after handoff

from [Minneapolis] Center to [Denver] Center, west of North Platte. ...

Since the direct route from OMA - BFF passes literally over, or

almost over, the procedure turn for the AIA approach procedures,

there is always the option for a pilot to check weather at AIA, and if

it has unexpectedly improved so as to allow landing at AIA, certainly,

then he may land. However, in this case, the mission was not to go to

AIA, land, and remain for the next evening's return, but rather to simply

proceed to BFF, execute the precision approach, drop off the mail, and

return to OMA empty immediately.

An excerpt from a Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) transcript follows:

Agencies Making Transmissions Abbreviations

Denver ARTCC, Sector 35R Radar Controller ZDV35R

Suburban Air Freight, INC. (Omaha, NE) SUB22

...

0846:46 ZDV35R sub air two two denver center

0846:52 SUB22 denver center sub air two two level eight thousand

0846:55 ZDV35R sub air two two denver center roger the uh alliance

altimeter is three zero one seven and do you have the uh

alliance weather yet

0847:10 SUB22 three zero one seven sub air two two uh we are

requesting the uh v o r runway one two

0847:18 ZDV35R sub air two two roger

0848:09 ZDV35R sub air two two do you have the uh weather and notam

information for alliance

0849:17 SUB22 sub air two two i have the uh alliance awos and notams

0849:22 ZDV35R sub air two two roger

0854:15 SUB22 denver center sub two two request

0854:17 ZDV35R sub air two two go ahead

0854:20 SUB22 roger sub air two two would like to uh uh amend my uh

request for the uh v o r runway three zero at alliance

and uh in the event uh i have to go missed approach i'll

be uh planning to uh head over to scottsbluff

0854:36 ZDV35R sub air two two roger maintain seven thousand until

alliance v o r outbound cleared for v o r runway three

zero approach to the alliance airport

0854:48 SUB22 sub air two two departing eight for seven thousand

maintaining seven thousand until established cleared v o r

runway three zero alliance thank you

0857:11 SUB22 sub air two two copies all switching to advisory and i'll

close out my flight plan with columbus radio or i'll contact

you later if i have to uh divert to Scottsbluff

0857:21 ZDV35R sub air two two roger

0857:57 ZDV35R sub air two two radar service terminated change to

advisory frequency approved report your uh arrival with

columbus radio or you can report back to me if you uh

have to go missed approach there

0908:41 SUB22 denver center sub air two two request

0908:52 ZDV35R alpine or correction uh sub air two two go ahead

0908:56 SUB22 (unintelligible) sir sub air two two looks like i'm gonna

have to uh flr the v o r runway one two after all request

uh v o r runway one two at alliance

0909:08 ZDV35R sub air two two roger uh cleared for v o r runway one

two approach to the alliance airport maintain seven

thousand until established on a published segment of the

approach

0909:20 SUB22 sub air two two maintaining seven thousand until

established cleared v o r runway one to alliance thank

you sir- - - and uh switching back to advisory

0909:29 ZDV35R sub air two two roger change to advisory frequency

approved

0909:34 SUB22 sub air two two

A witness, who was a train engineer in a standing locomotive about a quarter mile from the impact site, reported that he felt a shock wave against his locomotive and thought it was impacted by something. He went out to inspect the locomotive. The train had collected a coating of ice and the weather was foggy according to the engineer. He stated that he saw a leaning power pole across the roadway and saw steam rising from the ditch across the roadway. He went to investigate, saw the airplane, and called 911.

FAA inspectors interviewed the pilot and he reported that he did not recall the accident.

Personnel information

According to FAA records, the pilot was issued a commercial pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land limited to center thrust and instrument airplane ratings on October 25, 1977, based on military competence provisions allowed under 14 CFR Part 61.73 Military Pilots or Former Military Pilots: Special Rules. On December 14, 1977, he added an airplane single-engine land rating to his commercial certificate following a check ride in a Cessna 172. On August 25, 1978, he was reissued his commercial certificate without the center thrust limitation based on his military competence in the KC-135A airplane. On June 22, 1982, he was issued a type rating in the Boeing 707 and 720 airplanes based on his military competence in the KC-135A airplane. On August 22, 1982, he was issued an airplane single-engine certified flight instructor certificate following a check ride in a Piper PA-28R-200. On June 19, 1989, he was issued a type rating in the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 based on his military competence in a KC-10A airplane.

The pilot's last medical examination was completed on July 10, 2006, and the pilot was issued a second-class medical certificate with a limitation to wear corrective lenses.

According to the operator's report, the pilot reported a total flight time of 4,863 hours. The operator reported that the pilot had flown 523 hours in the Cessna 208. The operator reported that the pilot had flown 203 hours during the last 90 days and 64 hours during the last 30 days.

On October 2, 2006, the pilot attended and completed the airplane manufacturer's winter operations training seminar. The pilot attended recurrent ground training for the Cessna 208 aircraft on January 17, 2007. The pilot's last FAA Airman Competency/Proficiency Check was completed on January 18, 2007, and he was approved for 14 CFR Part 135 pilot-in-command operations i