LAX02FA108

During an instrument approach, upon descending to the prescribed minimum descent altitude, about 1/2 mile from the missed approach point, the pilot failed to maintain flying airspeed. The airplane stalled, rolled left, and in an uncontrolled descent collided with a commercial building 0.96 nm from the runway's displaced threshold. The accident occurred during the return portion of a round trip flight, while on final approach to the pilot's alternate airport due to a weather-induced diversion. Moderate intensity snow showers and freezing fog existed. During the initial approach, the reported visibility was 1 1/2 miles. About the time the pilot passed the final approach fix, the visibility decreased to 1/2 mile, but the pilot was not informed of the decrease below his 1-mile minimum requirement. The pilot had maintained the recommended 140-knot approach speed in the icing conditions until about 3 1/2 miles from the runway. Thereafter, the airplane's speed gradually decreased until reaching about 75 knots. After the airplane started vibrating, the pilot increased engine power, but his action was not timely enough to avert stalling. Company mechanics maintained the airplane. On previous occasions overheat conditions had occurred wherein the environmental ducting melted and heat was conducted to the adjacent pneumatic tube that provides deice air to the empennage boots. During the accident investigation, the deice tube was found completely melted closed, thus rendering all of the empennage deice boots dysfunctional.

History of flight

On March 13, 2002, about 1940 Pacific standard time (PST), a Beech E90, N948CC, descended into an unoccupied commercial building during an in-flight loss of control, about 1 mile south-southeast of the Reno/Tahoe International Airport, Reno, Nevada. Pilot Services Corporation, d.b.a. Regent Air Service, Inc., Truckee, California, operated the airplane. The accident occurred during a nighttime instrument approach in instrument meteorological conditions. The airline transport certificated pilot and four passengers sustained minor injuries, and a fifth passenger sustained a serious injury. The airplane was destroyed. The flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi flight, which departed from Durango, Colorado, about 1625 mountain standard time (1525 PST).

Earlier in the day, about 0518 PST, the pilot and passengers had departed from the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, Truckee, California, for the planned round trip flight to Durango. The pilot landed in Durango about 0850 mountain standard time (0750 PST).

The pilot reported to National Transportation Safety Board investigators that thereafter, he ate lunch and retired at the prearranged crew-rest hotel. The pilot further indicated that the airplane was refueled, and he did not observe any discrepancies with the airplane during his preflight inspection for the planned nonstop return flight.

According to the pilot, the flight was uneventful until he attempted to land at the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, his home base. At 1905 PST, the pilot received a clearance to perform an instrument approach to the Truckee-Tahoe Airport. Prior to commencement of the approach, the pilot activated the airplane's anti-ice systems, and they remained on throughout the remainder of the flight. The pilot activated the pneumatic wing deice boots prior to reaching the final approach fix.

The pilot indicated that he initiated the approach but could not land because of his inadequate visibility; it was snowing. The pilot executed a missed approach at 1919. Thereafter, he requested and received a clearance with radar vectors to proceed to the Reno/Tahoe International Airport.

The pilot further reported that snow showers also existed at Reno, and on only one occasion did he activate the deice boots during the approach. That occurred while on a vector to intercept the localizer, distance measuring equipment (DME), back course instrument approach to runway 34L. The pilot stated that he never observed an appreciable amount of ice on the leading edge of the wing, but he felt that there was enough to activate the boots. The pilot stated that when he activated the boots, "a little (ice) came off." He could see ice on the side of the wing's stall strip. There was some thin ice on the boot, but it did not extend beyond the boot.

At 1925:27, the pilot was cleared to perform the instrument approach. During the Safety Board investigator's subsequent interview with the pilot, he indicated that it was his belief that, upon reaching the final approach fix, the airport's reported weather was at or above his landing minimums. At 1936:44, the pilot made his last recorded radio transmission during which he acknowledged being cleared to land.

The pilot stated that everything on the approach was normal outside of the 2-mile DME fix. However, control of the airplane became difficult inside the 2-mile DME fix.

The pilot further reported to Safety Board investigators that the airplane's approach was initially stabilized upon reaching the minimum descent altitude (MDA). At the MDA, he increased engine torque (power) to 800 foot-pounds per engine in order to maintain altitude. According to the pilot, a torque value between 700 and 900 foot-pounds is normal.

The pilot indicated that some ice was visible on the wing's leading edge stall strip, but opined it was "way less than 1/4-inch" in depth. He stated that the ice did not extend beyond the aft portion of the wing's deicing boot.

According to the pilot, during the final seconds of flight, the controls started vibrating and he felt a yawing moment. The pilot said that he instantly looked at the indicated airspeed, which was between 111 and 115 knots. Thereafter, the airplane started to shake. Previously, the airplane had been flying at 140 knots, the recommended approach speed for icing conditions. The pilot said that he applied full engine power; however, the airplane still shook and yawed. He recalled that the rudder pedals appeared to move freely. Although the vibration varied in intensity, once it started it never stopped.

The pilot further reported that he pitched forward on the yoke, and he did not believe the airplane was stalling because the indicated airspeed was still near the "blue line." The pilot reported that he felt the airplane sink. While the airplane was sinking he noticed that the stall warning light was illuminated, and he attempted to stop the airplane's descent. He did not "yank back or push forward" on the yoke; he just maintained a level attitude. The pilot looked outside and saw buildings "coming up." The engine power was full, but the airplane was not climbing. The pilot reported thinking that he was going to hit the building and that he had to reduce the impact. Therefore, he pulled the yoke full back. The left wing stalled, and the airplane banked left.

The pilot stated that there might have been ice on the tail because the tail "felt really weird." He said "something made the airplane go down when it shouldn't have."

The airplane's last recorded radar position was at 1939:53. At this time, the airplane had descended to about 4,500 feet, as indicated by its Mode C altitude reporting transponder. The accident site's elevation is approximately 4,470 feet msl.

Personnel information

Certification and Experience.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating. He had commercial privileges in single engine land and sea airplanes. The pilot also possessed a certified flight instructor certificate with airplane single engine, multiengine, and instrument airplane privileges. He possessed advanced ground school instructor and aircraft dispatcher certificates. The pilot's last first-class aviation medical certificate was issued without limitations on May 14, 2001.

The pilot's total flight time was 1,610 hours, of which 608 hours were flown in the model of the accident airplane. During the 30- and 90-day periods preceding the accident, the pilot had flown the accident model of airplane as pilot-in-command for 40 and 105 hours, respectively, of which 8 and 22 hours were in actual instrument meteorological conditions.

Regent Air, Inc., hired the pilot in August 2000. In July 2001, he began flying the Beech E90 as pilot-in-command. The pilot's last FAR Part 135 competency, instrument proficiency, and line checks were performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector in February 2002. All of the checks were completed satisfactorily.

Aircraft information

The Beech Aircraft Company began manufacturing the model E90 series of airplanes in 1972, with serial number LW-1. The accident airplane, serial number LW-236, was manufactured in 1977. Beech discontinued production of this model of airplane in 1981, with serial number LW-347. According to the Raytheon Aircraft Company participant, the interior configurations of these airplanes varied. As of April 2, 2002, FAA registration records indicated that 247 E90s were registered.

Flight Manual and Check List Information.

The FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) contained the following statements regarding flight in icing conditions:

"CAUTION Stalling airspeeds should be expected to increase when ice has accumulated on the airplane due to the distortion of the wing airfoil. For the same reason, stall warn