Narrative:
The airplane had been in Mena, Arkansas, undergoing refurbishment and final preparations for a acceptance/delivery flight to its new owner, Hageland Airlines.
On the morning of the accident the airplane departed Mena at 06:20. The Beech was flown to Wichita to pick up the CEO/President of Hageland Airlines, who was the airline's representative to accept delivery and finalize the purchase of the airplane. The airplane arrived at 07:45. The Beech was to fly back to Mena a few hours later so the CEO could authorize a pre-purchase agreement for another 1900C. Departed from Wichita was at 10:43 on a VFR flight to Mena. At 11:30 the airplane began to descend from its cruising altitude of 15,500 feet. Last radio contact was at 11:36 when the airplane was descending through approx. 5000 feet. Descent was continued until flew into rising, heavily wooded, mountainous terrain. The accident site elevation was 2,050 feet msl, about 200 feet below the top of a mountain ridgeline. Reportedly cloud layers were obscuring the ridgeline about the time of the accident.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "In-flight collision with terrain due to the pilot's failure to maintain clearance and altitude above rapidly rising terrain while on a VFR approach. Contributing factors were the obscuration of the terrain due to clouds."
» NTSB
» Alaska Daily News
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 9 December 2002 |
| Time: | 11:40 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft 1900C |
| Operator: | Raytheon Aircraft |
| Registration: | N127YV |
| MSN: | UC-127 |
| First flight: | 1990 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12473 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 14,5 km (9.1 mls) N of Mena, AR ( United States of America)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 625 m (2051 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport, KS (ICT/KICT), United States of America |
| Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, AR (KMEZ), United States of America |
The airplane had been in Mena, Arkansas, undergoing refurbishment and final preparations for a acceptance/delivery flight to its new owner, Hageland Airlines.
On the morning of the accident the airplane departed Mena at 06:20. The Beech was flown to Wichita to pick up the CEO/President of Hageland Airlines, who was the airline's representative to accept delivery and finalize the purchase of the airplane. The airplane arrived at 07:45. The Beech was to fly back to Mena a few hours later so the CEO could authorize a pre-purchase agreement for another 1900C. Departed from Wichita was at 10:43 on a VFR flight to Mena. At 11:30 the airplane began to descend from its cruising altitude of 15,500 feet. Last radio contact was at 11:36 when the airplane was descending through approx. 5000 feet. Descent was continued until flew into rising, heavily wooded, mountainous terrain. The accident site elevation was 2,050 feet msl, about 200 feet below the top of a mountain ridgeline. Reportedly cloud layers were obscuring the ridgeline about the time of the accident.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "In-flight collision with terrain due to the pilot's failure to maintain clearance and altitude above rapidly rising terrain while on a VFR approach. Contributing factors were the obscuration of the terrain due to clouds."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» FAA» NTSB
» Alaska Daily News
Photos
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 Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport, KS to Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, AR as the crow flies is 448 km (280 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.
Distance from Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport, KS to Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport, AR as the crow flies is 448 km (280 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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