Narrative:
Martinaire Flight 679, a Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster, N4602B, enroute to George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (KIAH) in Houston, Texas, has impacted the terrain of Victoria County northeast of its point of departure at Victoria Regional Airport (KVCT) in Victoria, Texas.
After departing from Runway 13L at 20:02, air traffic control (ATC) directed the pilot to climb and maintain 3000 ft mean sea level (msl). After climbing through 1900 ft msl, the airplane began a series of fifteen course reversals, which continued throughout the remainder of the flight. The course reversals alternated between right and left turns, each with more than 90 degrees of heading change. ATC queried the pilot several times concerning the airplane's erratic course. At 20:08 and 20:11, the pilot stated that he had "some instrument problem" and after a suggestion by ATC, the pilot agreed to return to VCT. As the airplane continued to make turns, a rapid descent occurred, and radar contact was lost.
The airplane impacted a rural area at a near vertical attitude, with the propeller hub buried about 5 ft deep into clay soil. The airplane was highly fragmented, with remnants of the fuel tank and engine tubing located 225 ft from the main wreckage.
The pilot had a history of poor procedural knowledge and weak flying skills. It is possible that he either failed to turn on an inverter during ground operations and did not respond to the accompanying warning flags, or he did not switch to the other inverter in the event that an inverter failed inflight. The accident flight was the pilots third flight in an inverter-equipped airplane.
Probable Cause: "The pilots loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident were the inoperative attitude indicator and horizontal situation indicator on the pilots side of the cockpit, and the pilots failure to reference the flight instruments that were operative."
Loss of control
» KHOU
» Flightaware
KVCT 100151Z 14006KT 6SM HZ FEW028 OVC047 23/19 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP097 T02280194
02:34 UTC / 20:34 local time:
KVCT 100234Z 16006KT 6SM HZ FEW015 SCT039 OVC048 23/20 A2984 RMK AO2 T02280200
accident date: 09-12-2019
type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
registration: N4602B
accident date: 09-12-2019
type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
registration: N4602B
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Monday 9 December 2019 |
| Time: | 20:16 |
| Type: |  Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster |
| Operator: | Martinaire |
| Registration: | N4602B |
| MSN: | 208B0140 |
| First flight: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 17284 |
| Engines: | 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| 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: | ca 11 km NE of Victoria Regional Airport, TX (VCT) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Victoria Regional Airport, TX (VCT/KVCT), United States of America |
| Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH/KIAH), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | MRA679 |
Martinaire Flight 679, a Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster, N4602B, enroute to George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (KIAH) in Houston, Texas, has impacted the terrain of Victoria County northeast of its point of departure at Victoria Regional Airport (KVCT) in Victoria, Texas.
After departing from Runway 13L at 20:02, air traffic control (ATC) directed the pilot to climb and maintain 3000 ft mean sea level (msl). After climbing through 1900 ft msl, the airplane began a series of fifteen course reversals, which continued throughout the remainder of the flight. The course reversals alternated between right and left turns, each with more than 90 degrees of heading change. ATC queried the pilot several times concerning the airplane's erratic course. At 20:08 and 20:11, the pilot stated that he had "some instrument problem" and after a suggestion by ATC, the pilot agreed to return to VCT. As the airplane continued to make turns, a rapid descent occurred, and radar contact was lost.
The airplane impacted a rural area at a near vertical attitude, with the propeller hub buried about 5 ft deep into clay soil. The airplane was highly fragmented, with remnants of the fuel tank and engine tubing located 225 ft from the main wreckage.
The pilot had a history of poor procedural knowledge and weak flying skills. It is possible that he either failed to turn on an inverter during ground operations and did not respond to the accompanying warning flags, or he did not switch to the other inverter in the event that an inverter failed inflight. The accident flight was the pilots third flight in an inverter-equipped airplane.
Probable Cause:
Probable Cause: "The pilots loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident were the inoperative attitude indicator and horizontal situation indicator on the pilots side of the cockpit, and the pilots failure to reference the flight instruments that were operative."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
ADI issues Loss of control
Sources:
» www.kristv.com» KHOU
» Flightaware
METAR Weather report:
01:51 UTC / 19:51 local time:KVCT 100151Z 14006KT 6SM HZ FEW028 OVC047 23/19 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP097 T02280194
02:34 UTC / 20:34 local time:
KVCT 100234Z 16006KT 6SM HZ FEW015 SCT039 OVC048 23/20 A2984 RMK AO2 T02280200
Photos
accident date: 09-12-2019
type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
registration: N4602B
accident date: 09-12-2019
type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster
registration: N4602B
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 Victoria Regional Airport, TX to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX as the crow flies is 197 km (123 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Victoria Regional Airport, TX to Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX as the crow flies is 197 km (123 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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