NYC06FA209

The airplane departed on a long cross country flight, with thunderstorms and rain squalls along the general route. Approaching the destination airport, the airplane entered a rain squall, stalled, and impacted the ground in an almost vertical descent. Other than the onboard weather radar being previously removed for maintenance, there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. The pilot, whose logbook was not recovered, was not instrument-qualified. Although he was recently observed flying four to five times weekly, when the pilot applied for a multi-engine rating about 3 1/2 months earlier, he indicated 107 hours of total flight experience.

History of flight

On August 28, 2006, about 1440 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 401A, N408JC, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain near Whick, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot and six passengers were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed from Kickapoo Downtown Airpark (T47), Wichita Falls, Texas, to Wendell H. Ford Airport (W20), Hazard, Kentucky. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to an employee at the destination airport, between 1430 and 1500, the pilot of the accident airplane called the fixed base operator (FBO) and reported, "30 miles southwest," and requested an airport advisory. The employee responded that the weather included a 1,000-foot overcast with 2 miles visibility, "and dropping fast," with "no report of other traffic."

Within "5 to 10 minutes" of the pilot's call, the FBO received a telephone call from Indianapolis Center, advising that they had an airplane on VFR flight following, and "had lost radar contact" with it. About "5 to 10 minutes" after that, the FBO received a telephone call from the Kentucky State Police about a reported airplane crash. The employee remembered that the weather had deteriorated from the initial pilot call to the Kentucky State Police call, about 20 minutes later, to 1/4 mile visibility and a 200-foot overcast.

According to a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot had been receiving flight following from Memphis Center, and when he was told to switch to Indianapolis Center, he never transmitted on that frequency.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 35, held a private pilot certificate, and on May 10, 2006, was issued an airplane multi-engine land rating. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating. The pilot's latest FAA third class medical certificate was issued on August 24, 2005.

The pilot's logbook was not located, and a friend, who was an airline transport pilot, thought he would have carried it in the airplane.

On the pilot's application for his multi-engine rating, dated May 10, 2006, he listed total flight time as 107.4 hours, and 3.3 hours of instrument instruction received. The pilot's friend also noted that the pilot had lately been flying the airplane four to five times a week. The pilot's friend further stated that he would have felt comfortable putting his family on the airplane with the pilot under VFR conditions, but had "many, many conversations with [the accident pilot] about getting his IFR rating."

Aircraft information

The airplane was built in 1967, and was powered by two Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-C engines. According to a sales document, the pilot's company purchased it on April 28, 2006.

According to the pilot's friend, he and the accident pilot flew the airplane to Oklahoma City the previous Thursday to have a new GPS installed and the weather radar, which had never worked, repaired. While there, it was determined that the GPS was unable to be installed due to a missing part, and the radar unit was removed from the airplane for further troubleshooting. The two then flew the airplane back to Wichita Falls, and later that day, the pilot flew his daughter to Dallas and back.

The pilot's friend also noted some minor maintenance items with the airplane, including some radio problems and that the left main fuel tank gauge wouldn't display properly.

The airplane's maintenance records revealed that the latest annual inspection was completed on September 2, 2005, at 6,387 hours of operation.

Airport information

Wendell H. Ford Airport had two runways, with the longer runway, 14/32, being 5,000 feet long and 100 feet wide. Airport elevation was 1,253 feet, and there was no operating control tower.

Meteorological information

Weather, reported at the airport at 1445, included a scattered cloud layer at 100 feet, a scattered cloud layer at 800 feet, an overcast cloud layer at 1,200 feet, and a visibility of 2 miles. Weather, reported at the airport at 1505, included a broken layer at 200 feet, an overcast layer at 700 feet, and a visibility of 1/4 mile in rain.

A weather radar depiction, at 1445, revealed moderate intensity echoes over the accident site at that time. Satellite imagery depicted cumulus clouds over the area, moving eastward.

A review of an airport ramp video camera recording revealed that a rain squall, that came from the general direction of the accident site, passed over the airport about 10 minutes after the accident occurred. Winds appeared to be variable, and wind gusts were estimated to be in excess of 25 knots.

Between 0731 and 0737 central daylight time, the pilot called Fort Worth Flight Service Station, to "see if [he] was going to make it out before the weather." The briefer asked if it would be IFR or VFR, and the pilot responded VFR, and confirmed that he'd be leaving "fairly soon," and that his flight would be direct to Hazard, across northern Arkansas. At the time of the brief, VFR flight was not recommended. There was an AIRMET for IFR conditions, Wichita Falls was on the southern edge, and it covered Oklahoma (ending between 14-17Z), Missouri and Western Kentucky (ending between 17-20Z). There was also a convective SIGMET for thunderstorm activity across southeast Oklahoma, and north and northwest Arkansas, and convective activity in parts of central Kentucky, but no advisories issued on it. There was also an area of thunderstorms 50 miles south, southeast of Springfield, Missouri, down to El Dorado, Arkansas, then southeast to Dallas- Fort Worth, Texas, and back up to 20 miles east, southeast to Macalister, Oklahoma, moving "straight north" at 15 knots. The briefer then provided the current conditions, including light rain at Wichita Falls, visibility 10 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken cumulonimbus layer at 5,000 feet, and another broken layer at 15,000 feet. There were also some showers in Kentucky, but convective sigmets "north of there." There was a "band" from Louisville to Standiford, Kentucky, to east of Bowling Green, Kentucky; and "a rather large cluster of storm cells, tops 35,000 to 45,000 feet right in central Kentucky, moving northeast, at 20 knots." The briefer also noted that they might move by the time the pilot got there, but just wanted to ensure he knew there were build-ups "right now" in north-central Kentucky. The pilot then asked if the best route was to head more towards Fort Smith, Arkansas, which the briefer agreed would keep him north of the precipitation. Then northeast of the Russellville, Arkansas, area, there were some buildups, but "moving away from you" about 30 knots. The pilot then said he appreciated it, and that he'd provide a report if he saw anything.

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage was located about 5 nautical miles, 290 degrees magnetic from the airport, in the vicinity of 37 degrees, 24.13 minutes north latitude, 83 degrees, 21.36 minutes west longitude. It was located on an approximately 40-degree, treed slope. There was no wreckage path; however, there was a straight-line indentation in the ground, along a 080/260-degree magnetic axis, about the same length as the width of the wings. Two craters were in the ground, to the south of, and near the indentation, that were consistent with engine impact points, with the left crater being closer to the indentation than the right. There was also a tree near the right side indentation that was cut off horizontally, about 40 feet above the ground, and also had two, approximately horizontal, slashes in the trunk, consistent with propeller strikes.

The remaining wing section was located downhill from the straight-line indentation, with the left wing remnants about 5 feet from the indentation, and the right wing about 20 feet from the indentation. The remaining sections of wing leading edge exhibited approximately str