LAX95FA141

Approaching Reno, the pilot received an instrument clearance to perform a Localizer DME-1, Rwy 16R, approach, which the FAA had previously approved for the operator's use. The localizer centerline passed over a 6,161-foot msl mountain, which was depicted on the chart. The pilot was familiar with the area, having transported cargo from Sacramento to Reno for 5 days each week since December, 1994. IMC existed and light snow showers were present. ATC issued the pilot a series of instructions as he was radar vectored toward the final approach fix (FAF), which had a minimum crossing altitude of 6,700 feet msl. The pilot misstated four of the instructions during clearance readbacks and was corrected by ATC each time. Contact with the pilot was lost following issuance of his landing clearance. The airplane impacted the mountainside at an elevation of about 6,050 feet, while tracking inbound near the centerline of the localizer course, about 2.7 nautical miles before reaching the FAF. The airframe, engine, and avionics equipment were examined. No mechanical malfunctions were found.

History of flight

On March 22, 1995, at 0812 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 208B, N9417B, operated by Union Flights on a FAR Part 135 air taxi cargo flight for Airborne Express, collided with a mountain on final approach to the Reno Cannon International Airport, Reno, Nevada. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the airline transport certificated pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated at 0734 from Sacramento, California, as flight number 9840.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), all communications and services with flight 9840 were routine upon departure from Sacramento. At 0803:28, as flight 9840 approached Reno, the pilot made the following transmission to the radar controller: "ah Reno Approach Union Flight ninety eight forty is with you. I have Romeo and request ah localizer DME one for runway one six." The controller responded by providing a radar approach vector to the pilot.

Thereafter, in reply to a series of air traffic control instructions, the pilot made a series of statements which were subsequently corrected by the radar controller. For example, at 0805:28 the controller instructed the pilot to "descend and maintain niner thousand five hundred." The pilot responded that he was "out of nine thousand five hundred." The controller corrected the pilot.

At 0808:28, the controller cleared the pilot to "descend and maintain eight thousand two hundred." The pilot acknowledged the instruction with "down to seven thousand." The controller corrected the pilot.

At 0809:26, the controller instructed the pilot to turn to a heading of "one four zero." The pilot replied with "one two zero," and the controller again corrected the pilot.

At 0810:31, the controller made the following transmission to the pilot: "Union Flight ninety eight forty one two miles from the airport maintain seven thousand two hundred til established on the localizer cleared localizer DME one runway one six right approach circle one six left."

The pilot replied: "Cleared for ah ILS ah one six er ah localizer DME one and ah circle to one six left ninety eight forty."

The pilot then contacted the Reno Airport Tower local controller and at 0811:58 stated: "Reno Tower Union Flight ninety eight forty is ah localizer inbound full stop." The local controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 16 left. There were no further contacts with the pilot.

Personnel information

The pilot held airline transport pilot, certified flight instructor, and mechanic certificates. According to the operator, his total flight time was about 4,388 hours, and his total experience flying Cessna 208 airplanes was about 200 hours.

Based upon resume data from the pilot, the National Transportation Safety Board estimated that his combined actual and simulated instrument experience was 300 hours.

The pilot last completed required FAR Part 135 competency/proficiency flight training on October 10, 1994. The training was performed in a Piper PA-31 airplane. The pilot last completed required FAR Part 135 flight training in a Cessna 208 on June 30, 1994.

The Safety Board reviewed copies of pilot flight hour and maintenance records which the operator maintained for the months of December, 1994, through February, 1995. The records indicated that during this period the pilot flew Cessna 208 airplanes for an estimated 110 hours.

During February, 1995, the pilot flew the accident airplane on at least 12 different occasions which included performance of at least three instrument approaches. Regarding the pilot's flying experience along the accident route of flight, the operator reported that the pilot had flown the route between Sacramento and Reno "5 days each week since December 1994."

Aircraft information

According to the FAA, its review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that all pertinent airworthiness directives had been complied with. The Safety Board noted that no outstanding discrepancies (squawks) were observed written in the original airplane maintenance record log sheet page which was found at the crash site.

Airborne Express load manifest data indicated that prior to takeoff, about 2,650 pounds of cargo was placed onboard the airplane. No hazardous material was identified.

Meteorological information

At 0459 the pilot received a telephone weather briefing from the FAA's Rancho Murieta Flight Service Station (FSS). In pertinent part, the briefer informed the pilot that along the route of flight between Sacramento and Reno, between the pilot's proposed 0700 departure time and 0800 arrival time, he could expect to encounter occasional moderate to severe turbulence and occasional icing conditions. The 0800 terminal forecast for Reno indicated an overcast ceiling at 4,000 feet above ground level (agl), surface winds from 170 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 24 knots, and occasional sky partially obscured with ceilings of 1,500 feet overcast, 2 miles visibility, and light snow.

Between 0750 and 0813, Reno Airport's weather was variable. The base of the overcast ceiling increased from 1,600 to 1,900 feet; the visibility increased from 2.5 to 3 miles; the southerly wind decreased in speed from 42 to 27 knots; the atmospheric pressure decreased from 29.59 to 29.58" Hg; and the amount of sky hidden by snow decreased from 0.5 to 0.1, respectively.

At 0812:03, when the Reno Airport tower controller cleared the pilot to land, the controller reported that the wind direction was from 170 degrees at 25 knots.

Several minutes after the accident another of the operator's Cessna 208 airplanes landed at Reno. The Cessna pilot reported that during his instrument approach he had encountered light chop and light rime icing.

Aids to navigation

During the pilot's preflight weather briefing, the FSS briefer advised the pilot that the ILS glideslope at Reno was out of service.

In March, 1993, the operator received permission from the FAA to utilize a special terminal instrument approach procedure (IAP) at Reno. The IAP was entitled "LOC DME-1 Rwy 16R."

As noted in the IAP chart (see attached copy), while flying inbound on the 164-degree final approach segment, pilots were not permitted to be at an altitude lower than 6,700 feet mean sea level (msl) until crossing the Dicey Intersection final approach fix.

While tracking inbound on the Reno localizer, an airplane's position at the Dicey Intersection can be determined by the following two methods: (1) Upon noting that the distance measuring equipment (DME) indicates a distance of 7.7 nautical miles; and/or (2) upon noting passage of the 295-degree radial from the Mustang VOR (navigation aid).

Wreckage and impact information

From an examination of the accident site and airplane wreckage, the airplane was found to have collided with a 21-degree upsloping snow-covered terrain on the north side of a mountain. The mountain's peak elevation was depicted on the centerline of the Reno Airport's LOC DME-1 RWY 16R IAP chart. Its charted elevation was 6,161 feet msl. The crash site elevation was estimated at 6,050 feet msl.

The location of the accident site, as determined by global positioning system (GPS) measurements, was about 39 degrees, 39.1 minutes north latitude, by 119 degrees, 46.2 minutes west longitude. The site was 9.17 nautical miles (NM) and 343 degrees (magnetic) from the center of the airport. The magnetic bearing and distance from the Mustang VOR to the accident site was 308 degrees and 8.93 NM. The bearing and distance from the accident site to the Dicey Intersection final approach fix was 163 degrees and 2.66 NM. (See the IAP chart for additional details.) The initial point of impact (IPI) was marked by the presence of several tree branches which had been severed (see the wreckage diagram). Several yards