- Date
- March 27, 1992, 13:12 local (20:12 UTC)
- Place
- Payson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N8000JBeech F33A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920327007599A
- Case key
- 27583
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's poor preflight planning/preparation by intentionally flying into known adverse weather and his poor in-flight decision by not flying to an alternate airport when the airplane began to encounter icing. Contributing to this accident was the icing condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot received a weather briefing from the flight service station before departing on the accident flight. The weather briefer advised the pilot of forecasted icing conditions along the intended route of flight. The airplane was not equipped with any anti or deicing systems. About 15 minutes after departing while at 14,000 ft MSL ice began to form on the airplane and the pilot asked for a lower altitude and a ground speed check. The airplane's ground speed was 170 KTS. 20 minutes later the pilot again requested a lower altitude but the controller was unable due to the mea. About 18 minutes later the pilot asked for a ground speed check and the controller responded, 150 knots and 11 minutes later cleared the flight to 12,000 ft. about 19 minutes later the pilot reported that the airplane was picking up rime ice and again requested a lower altitude. About 7 minutes later the controller reported the airplane's ground speed was 120 knots. About 14 minutes later the pilot reported having problems maintaining airspeed and altitude. Six minutes later the pilot reported that he was unable to maintain the altitude and radar contact was lost 2 minutes later. The airplane collided with upsloping terrain in a wings level, nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8000J
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-1509
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steering Committee Corp.
- Registered owner
- Steering Committee Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- DRO · Durango, CO
- Destination
- PHX · Phoenix, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,349 total · 86 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.