ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37209
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can
submit corrected information.
Date: | Monday 8 January 1996 |
Time: | 19:07 |
Type: | Cessna 401A |
Owner/operator: | Pacific States Charter Service |
Registration: | N117AC |
MSN: | 401A0040 |
Total airframe hrs: | 5800 hours |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Spokane, WA -
United States of America
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Ambulance |
Departure airport: | Pasco, WA (PSC) |
Destination airport: | (GEG) |
Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:The pilot (plt) received abbreviated weather (wx) briefing for emergency medical service (EMS)/air ambulance flight (flt). Before flt, he expressed anxiety about possible low visibility for landing & timely transport of dying patient. During ILS runway 3 approach (rwy 3 apch), aircraft (acft) remained well above the glide slope until close to the middle marker; acft's speed decreased from 153 to 100 kts, while vertical speed increased from 711'/min to about 1,250'/min descent. About 1 mi from rwy & 500' agl (in fog), acft abruptly turned left of localizer course & gradually descended with no distress call from plt. Acft hit a pole, then flew into a building & burned. Low ceiling, fog & dark night conditions prevailed. Plt (recent ex-military helicopter plt) had logged/reported 3500 hrs of flt time & about 150 hrs in multiengine airplanes, but there was evidence he lacked experience with actual instrument apchs in fixed-wing acft; he had difficulty with instrument flying during recent training & FAA check flts. No preimpact mechanical problem was found with acft/engines. No ILS anomalies were found. Flt nurse was using cellular phone, but no evidence was found of interference with acft's navigational system. Visibility & ceiling at destination were less than forecast at time of plt's preflt wx briefing. Paramedic was only survivor. CAUSE: failure of the pilot to follow proper IFR procedures, by failing to maintain proper alignment with the localizer course during the ILS approach and/or by failing to follow the proper missed approach procedure. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness; adverse weather conditions; and pressure on the pilot to complete the EMS flight, due to the circumstances and conditions that prevailed.
Sources:
NTSB:
https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001208X05198 Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
24-Oct-2008 10:30 |
ASN archive |
Added |
07-Feb-2009 10:19 |
harro |
Updated |
21-Dec-2016 19:23 |
ASN Update Bot |
Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation