MIA00FA141

Recorded radar data showed the flight was in cruise at 8,000 feet, at an average speed of about 140 knots, when it descended to 7,700 feet and turned from a northwesterly to a westerly heading. The pilot was responding to an ATC request to verify clearance at this time. The flight then turned to a northerly heading and climbed to 8,100 feet. The flight then turned to southeasterly heading and descended to 7,500 feet. Radar contact was lost for about 30 seconds. When radar contact was reestablished the flight was at 5,300 feet on a northeasterly heading. The airplane continued on a northeasterly heading and climbed to 5,500 feet. Radar contact was then lost at 1611:25, at a position 1 mile east of the crash site, which was on the side of a mountain. The first 911 call about the accident was at 1612:02. A witness reported hearing the airplane flying to the north and the engine start to cut out. The engine continued to rev up and cut out and the airplane sounded like it had turned toward the south. He then heard the engine rev up to high power, cut off, followed by the sound of the crash. The witness stated the weather at the crash site was overcast clouds at the treetops, with visibility 1.5 miles. Post crash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, vacuum system, engine, and propeller showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. The propeller had bending and twisting consistent with high engine power at the time of ground impact. The airplane was operating in an area that was forecast to have icing conditions from 9,000 to 18,000 feet. Another pilot reported encountering light icing conditions at 7,500 feet, about 16 miles northeast of the crash site, about 13 minutes before the accident. The airplane was operating in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power.

History of flight

On April 28, 2000, about 1612 eastern daylight time, a North American SNJ-5, N3187G, registered to a private individual, crashed on Beech Mountain, Elk Park, North Carolina, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from Hickory, North Carolina, to Indianapolis, Indiana. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from Hickory, the same day, about 1549.

Transcripts of communications showed that at about 1357, a person identifying himself as the pilot of N3187G, called the FAA, Raleigh, North Carolina, Automated Flight Service Station, requesting to file an instrument flight rules flight plan, from Hickory, North Carolina, to Indianapolis, Indiana. The person also requested a weather briefing. The pilot filed his flight plan and requested an altitude of 10,000 feet. The pilot was given the weather briefing and told that "airmet sierra in effect across North Carolina and Virginia until you get up to the on the other side of the mountains and obscurations over the Appalachians Range over North Carolina moderate turbulence below one zero thousand ah just to the east of Hickory out over the coast you'll be going away from that area as you go up to Indianapolis and over North Carolina to the Tennessee line and across ah all but the western portion of Virginia occasional moderate rime or mixed icing from niner thousand to flight level one eight zero." The weather briefer went on to say "currently radar is showing off to the northwest of Hickory light to moderate precip across North Carolina and Virginia I do show an area of ah heavy possibly very heavy precip oh up north of the Elkins area." The weather briefer continued "forty miles southwest of tri-cities at one seven one five zulu an ATR reported the bases at seven thousand five hundred tops to one two thousand five hundred and don't see any other pireps for you are you deicing equipped." The pilot replied "ah negative we will probably just stay down to eight thousand until we get out of into Kentucky." The briefing concluded at about 1410.

Information from the Hickory Regional Airport, Control Tower show that at 1514, the pilot of N3187G was cleared to taxi to runway 6. At 1545, the pilot was given an instrument flight rules clearance, and at 1549, the pilot was cleared for takeoff. At 1551, the pilot was instructed to contact the FAA Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center.

Transcripts of communications show that at 1551, the pilot made contact with the Atlanta Center, radar controller, reporting that he was off Hickory and requesting an instrument flight rules clearance to Indianapolis. The pilot was told to put in transponder code 5270. The pilot reported he had been given transponder code 7132. The controller asked the pilot to standby. About 5 minutes later, another flight, which was flying into Hickory from the northwest, at 7,500 feet, reported he was "picking up a little ice here." At 1558, the pilot of N3187G was told he is radar contact 15 miles west of Barretts Mountain VORTAC, cleared to Holston Mountain VORTAC, and told to climb and maintain 8,000 feet. A short time later, the pilot was cleared to Indianapolis after Holston Mountain. At 1559, the controller again asked the pilot to put in transponder code 5270. The pilot replied that is what he is showing. The controller replied, he is receiving code 5277. At 1601, the controller told the pilot to put in transponder code 5230. The pilot acknowledged.

At 1602, the FAA Tri-Cities, Tennessee Approach reported to the Atlanta Center radar associate controller that "I got uh icing reports for you anybody comin to us uh northwest bound at uh seven eight or nine thousand is almost unusable for these little guys uh icing moderate rime icing at about all altitudes." At 1603, the radar controller asked the pilot of N3187G to put in transponder code 5327. The pilot did not reply. At 1605, the controller again makes contact with the pilot and tells him to put in transponder code 5327, and that they are still receiving code 5277. A short time later the controller began receiving code 5327. At 1609:29, the controller verified the flights clearance. The pilot responded. No further transmissions were received from the flight.

A pilot at the Lower Creek Airport, which is located about 15 miles north-northwest of the Hickory Airport, between the Hickory Airport and the crash site, reported " On Friday, April 28, 2000, between 4:00 pm and 4:05 pm, I heard a radial engine airplane cross above or near Lower Creek Airport. I took particular note that the prop was cycling back and forth from high pitch to low pitch. I never saw the airplane because the conditions were low IFR at Lower Creek at that time."

A police officer located about 1.5 miles south of the crash site reported hearing the aircraft fly over his house toward the north. The aircraft sounded low and he thought it had just taken off from the nearby Elk River Airport. As the aircraft flew over his house, the engine started to cut out and was spitting and sputtering. He ran outside and could not see the aircraft. He could still hear the aircraft's engine and it would "rev" up and then cut out again. The aircraft then sounded like it was turned around and coming back toward the Elk River Airport. The engine "revved" up again, cut off completely, and he then heard the sound of the aircraft crashing. He stated the clouds were overcast, just above the treetops, with visibility 1-1.5 miles, at the crash site.

Recorded radar data from the FAA, Atlanta Center and the Tri-Cities Approach Control showed the flight passed just to the north of the Lower Creek Airport, at about 1559, while climbing through 6,600 feet. The flight arrived at the cruising altitude of 8,000 feet at 1601. The final transponder code of 5327 was set at 1605:41. The flight continued on a northwesterly heading after reaching 8,000 feet. The airplanes groundspeed averaged around 140 knots during this time and altitude varied between 7,800 and 8,000 feet. At 1609:29, when the last transmission was received from the pilot, the airplane had turned left, to a westerly heading, and altitude had dropped to 7,700 feet. The airplane then turned right, to a northerly heading, and at 1610:29, was at 8,100 feet. The airplane then turned right toward the east and then southeast, and at 1610:42, is at 7,500 feet. Radar contact is lost until 1611:15, when the airplane is flying northeasterly, at 5,300 feet. At 1611:20, the airplane is at 5,500 feet. At 1611:25, the airplane is at 5,500 feet heading northeasterly. Radar contact is then lost. The last radar position was about one mile east of the crash site. The radar data also showed that the crash site was 16 miles southwest of the point another airplane reported encountering icing conditions at 7,500 feet, about 13 minutes before the accident. See Recorded Radar Study and Recorded Radar Data.

Personnel information

The pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with airplane single engine, multiengine, and instrument airplane ratings. The certificate was last issued on June 22, 1987, when the multiengine rating was added. The pilot held a FAA second-class medical certificate, issued on July 10, 1999, with the limitation that holder shall wear correcting lenses. The pilot held a FAA waiver, issued on May 20,1993; authorizing issuance of a second-class medical certificate and with the limitation that holder must wear correcting lenses. On the July 10, 1999, application for the second-class medical certificate, the pilot reported having 1,600 total flight hours and 50 flight hours in the past 6 months.

Review of the pilot's logbook showed the last date that flight time was entered in the logbook was on July 15, 1999. The pilot had accumulated 1,552 to