ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25365
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| Date: | Monday 12 November 2001 |
| Time: | 23:24 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-31T Cheyenne I |
| Owner/operator: | Cage Acquisitations |
| Registration: | N6134A |
| MSN: | 31T-7804006 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3240 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-11 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 12 mi NE of Graham Municipal (E15), TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Wharton, TX (5R5) |
| Graham, TX (E15) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
At 2144, the pilot contacted air traffic control and requested visual flight rules (VFR) flight following to his destination. The flight was the final leg of a four-leg trip, which the pilot had begun approximately 1120 that morning. At 2220, the flight began a slow descent toward the destination airport. Radar data confirmed that the airplane executed a steady descent, and flew a straight line course toward Graham. The final radar return occurred 37 minutes later at an altitude of 3,000 feet (radar coverage is not available below 3,000 feet), 8 miles southeast of the Graham Municipal Airport. Two minutes after the final radar return, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the flight was two miles out, and he canceled VFR flight following. No further communications or distress calls were received from the airplane. The pilot did not request or receive updated weather from the air traffic controllers during the flight. According to witnesses who lived near the accident site, they heard an airplane flying low, observed dense fog and heard the sounds of an airplane crashing. According to the nearest weather reporting station, near the time of the accident, the temperature- dew point spread was within 2 degrees, visibilities were reduced to between 3 and 4 miles in fog, and the ceiling was decreasing from 600 feet broken to 400 feet overcast. At the time of the accident, the pilot's duty day exceeded 12 hours. Examination of the airframe revealed no preimpact anomalies and that the gear was extended and the flaps were retracted. Examination of both engines revealed evidence of power at the time of impact.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to discontinue the approach after encountering instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night light condition, low ceiling, and reduced visibility due to fog.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20011119X02259&key=1
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=6134A
Air International March 2002, p142
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 06-Aug-2017 14:12 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Aug-2017 09:04 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Source] |
| 16-Sep-2017 17:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Sep-2017 21:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Dec-2017 13:18 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Apr-2018 17:09 | TB | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
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