Accident Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster N228PA,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 323089

Date:	Friday 15 March 2002
Time:	02:00
Type:	Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
Owner/operator:	Priority Air Charter
Registration:	N228PA
MSN:	208B0049
Year of manufacture:	1988
Total airframe hrs:	9942 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	8 km S of Alma, WI - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, MN (MSP/KMSP)
Destination airport:	Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP/KYIP)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Caravan departed Minneapolis (MSP) at 01:05 for Detroit (YIP). The aircraft entered an area of icing conditions and descended from 5000 feet back to 4000 feet. At 01:45 the pilot reported problems maintaining altitude: "...looks like we're gonna need to land somewhere we're starting to have a hard time holding altitude here." The Minneapolis ARTCC controller informed N228PA that the Winona airport (ONA) was about 22 miles at the one o'clock position.
The pilot decided to divert to Winona but continued to lose altitude. The minimum safe altitude for the Winona area was 3,000 feet msl, but at 01:52 the pilot advised that he was unable to maintain that altitude. About 17 nm (31 km) north-northwest of Winona, the aircraft crashed into trees.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot not removing the ice contamination from the airplane prior to departure and the pilot intentionally flying into known severe icing conditions, resulting in the aircraft not being able to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain. Factors to the accident included the icing conditions and the trees encountered during the forced landing."

Accident investigation: