Narrative:
A Swearingen Metro cargo plane, operating Key Lime Air flight LYM308, was destroyed during a descent and subsequent inflight breakup near Camilla, Georgia, USA. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed.
The aircraft departed Panama City, Florida at 20:54 CST (02:54 UTC Dec. 6) on a flight to Albany Airport, Georgia.
En route the air traffic controller advised the pilot of moderate to extreme precipitation along his planned route of flight and suggested a route of flight that would have had the pilot fly to the northeast for 70 nautical miles to avoid the most severe
weather. The pilot responded that he did have enough fuel for such a diversion, but concluded that he would "see what the radar is painting" after the descent to 3,000 mean sea level (msl). Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised the controller that he intended to divert the flight to Tallahassee International Airport (TLH), Florida. The airplane then descended from 7,000 feet msl to 3,700 feet msl before radar and radio contact was lost.
The wreckage was scattered over a large area that included a cotton field and dense forest. The debris field was about 2,640 feet in length and 1,500 feet in width.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's decision to initiate and continue the flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted spatial disorientation, a loss of airplane control, and a subsequent in-flight breakup"
Loss of control
» Flightaware.com
» NTSB
KABY 060301Z AUTO 06006KT 1SM +RA BR FEW005 OVC019 16/16 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SW AND W P0017 T01560156
22:16 UTC / 03:16 local time:
KABY 060316Z AUTO 08015KT 3SM -RA BR BKN023 BKN120 16/16 A2981 RMK AO2 PRESFR P0024 T01610161
22:21 UTC / 03:21 local time:
KABY 060321Z AUTO 09013KT 8SM VCTS -RA SCT026 BKN120 16/16 A2981 RMK AO2 P0024 T01610161
22:41 UTC / 03:41 local time:
KABY 060341Z AUTO 13012KT 10SM -RA FEW005 FEW047 BKN110 17/17 A2982 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E P0025 T01720172
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
Flight profile
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 5 December 2016 |
| Time: | 22:22 |
| Type: |  Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III |
| Operator: | Key Lime Air |
| Registration: | N765FA |
| MSN: | AC-765 |
| First flight: | 1990 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 23296 |
| Engines: | 2 Garrett TPE331-11U-611G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 5,5 km (3.4 mls) ESE of Camilla, GA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL (ECP/KECP), United States of America |
| Albany-Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, GA (ABY/KABY), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | LYM308 |
A Swearingen Metro cargo plane, operating Key Lime Air flight LYM308, was destroyed during a descent and subsequent inflight breakup near Camilla, Georgia, USA. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed.
The aircraft departed Panama City, Florida at 20:54 CST (02:54 UTC Dec. 6) on a flight to Albany Airport, Georgia.
En route the air traffic controller advised the pilot of moderate to extreme precipitation along his planned route of flight and suggested a route of flight that would have had the pilot fly to the northeast for 70 nautical miles to avoid the most severe
weather. The pilot responded that he did have enough fuel for such a diversion, but concluded that he would "see what the radar is painting" after the descent to 3,000 mean sea level (msl). Shortly thereafter, the pilot advised the controller that he intended to divert the flight to Tallahassee International Airport (TLH), Florida. The airplane then descended from 7,000 feet msl to 3,700 feet msl before radar and radio contact was lost.
The wreckage was scattered over a large area that included a cotton field and dense forest. The debris field was about 2,640 feet in length and 1,500 feet in width.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's decision to initiate and continue the flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted spatial disorientation, a loss of airplane control, and a subsequent in-flight breakup"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Airframe failure Loss of control
Sources:
» WBTV» Flightaware.com
» NTSB
METAR Weather report:
22:01 UTC / 03:01 local time:KABY 060301Z AUTO 06006KT 1SM +RA BR FEW005 OVC019 16/16 A2984 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SW AND W P0017 T01560156
22:16 UTC / 03:16 local time:
KABY 060316Z AUTO 08015KT 3SM -RA BR BKN023 BKN120 16/16 A2981 RMK AO2 PRESFR P0024 T01610161
22:21 UTC / 03:21 local time:
KABY 060321Z AUTO 09013KT 8SM VCTS -RA SCT026 BKN120 16/16 A2981 RMK AO2 P0024 T01610161
22:41 UTC / 03:41 local time:
KABY 060341Z AUTO 13012KT 10SM -RA FEW005 FEW047 BKN110 17/17 A2982 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E P0025 T01720172
Photos
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
accident date: 05-12-2016
type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III
registration: N765FA
Flight profile
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | N2751N | Swearingen | first flight |
| 21 Nov. 1990 | ZK-NSI | Air New Zealand Link (Air Nelson) | delivered |
| 25 Sep. 2003 | N765FA | Key Lime Air | registered |
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL to Albany-Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, GA as the crow flies is 201 km (126 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
Distance from Panama City-Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, FL to Albany-Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, GA as the crow flies is 201 km (126 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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