Narrative:
A Beechcraft B200, N586BC, received substantial damage on impact with terrain during landing on runway 31 at Sioux Gateway Airport/Col. Bud Day Field (SUX), Iowa. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, copilot, and two passengers were uninjured.
The pilot filed an instrument-flight-rules (IFR) flight plan with the destination and alternate airports, both of which were below weather minimums. The pilot and copilot departed from Des Moines Airport in weather minimums that were below the approach minimums for the departure airport. While en route, the destination airport's automated observing system continued to report weather below approach minimums, but the flight crew continued the flight. The flight crew then requested and were cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) 31 approach and while on that approach were issued visibilities of 1,800 feet runway visual range after changing to tower frequency. During landing, the copilot told the pilot that he was not lined up with the runway. The pilot reportedly said, "those are edge lights," and then realized that he was not properly lined up with the runway. The airplane then touched down beyond a normal touchdown point, about 2,800 feet down the runway, and off the left side of the runway surface. The airplane veered to the left, collapsing the nose landing gear.
The company's procedures did not allow flight crew to depart to an airport that was below minimums but did allow for the flight crew, at their discretion, to perform a "look-see" approach to approach minimums if the weather was below minimums. The allowance of a "look see" approach essentially negates the procedural risk mitigation afforded by requiring approaches to be conducted only when weather was above approach minimums.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's decision to attempt a flight that was below takeoff, landing, and alternate airport weather minimums, which led to a touchdown off the runway surface by the pilot-in-command."
Landing gear collapse
Runway excursion (veer-off)
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Tuesday 19 January 2010 |
| Time: | 07:15 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B200 Super King Air |
| Operator: | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa - BCBS |
| Registration: | N586BC |
| MSN: | BB-1223 |
| First flight: | 1985 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10304 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Sioux Gateway Airport, IA (SUX) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Des Moines Airport, IA (DSM/KDSM), United States of America |
| Sioux Gateway Airport, IA (SUX/KSUX), United States of America |
A Beechcraft B200, N586BC, received substantial damage on impact with terrain during landing on runway 31 at Sioux Gateway Airport/Col. Bud Day Field (SUX), Iowa. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, copilot, and two passengers were uninjured.
The pilot filed an instrument-flight-rules (IFR) flight plan with the destination and alternate airports, both of which were below weather minimums. The pilot and copilot departed from Des Moines Airport in weather minimums that were below the approach minimums for the departure airport. While en route, the destination airport's automated observing system continued to report weather below approach minimums, but the flight crew continued the flight. The flight crew then requested and were cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) 31 approach and while on that approach were issued visibilities of 1,800 feet runway visual range after changing to tower frequency. During landing, the copilot told the pilot that he was not lined up with the runway. The pilot reportedly said, "those are edge lights," and then realized that he was not properly lined up with the runway. The airplane then touched down beyond a normal touchdown point, about 2,800 feet down the runway, and off the left side of the runway surface. The airplane veered to the left, collapsing the nose landing gear.
The company's procedures did not allow flight crew to depart to an airport that was below minimums but did allow for the flight crew, at their discretion, to perform a "look-see" approach to approach minimums if the weather was below minimums. The allowance of a "look see" approach essentially negates the procedural risk mitigation afforded by requiring approaches to be conducted only when weather was above approach minimums.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The flight crew's decision to attempt a flight that was below takeoff, landing, and alternate airport weather minimums, which led to a touchdown off the runway surface by the pilot-in-command."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Landing gear collapse
Runway excursion (veer-off)
Photos
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
accident date: 19-01-2010
type: Beechcraft B200 Super King Air
registration: N586BC
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 Des Moines Airport, IA to Sioux Gateway Airport, IA as the crow flies is 243 km (152 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Des Moines Airport, IA to Sioux Gateway Airport, IA as the crow flies is 243 km (152 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
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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