Beechcraft A36 N976WL

Summary

On 9 August 1996 at about 14:05 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N976WL was involved in an accident near Atlantic Ocean. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 1996 at 14:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlantic Ocean

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N976WL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Great Harbor Cy → West Palm Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA96LA208

1 person died.

an inflight collision with the terrain (water) for undetermined reason(s). Factors relating to the accident were: failure of the pilot to obtain a preflight weather briefing, his failure to obtain in-flight weather avoidance assistance, and his resultant inadvertent encounter with a level three thunderstorm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise flight at 10,000 feet without weather avoidance radar on board the airplane, the flight encountered adverse weather associated with a level 3 weather echo. Altitude excursions of 5,000 fpm and 4,000 fpm decreases and increases were noted respectively. Groundspeed excursions were also noted. Radar and radio contact were lost, when the flight was at 8,400 feet. Recovered wreckage revealed no evidence of heat damage. According to a friend of the pilot, he had little actual instrument experience and would have avoided adverse weather. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing with an FAA facility nor with DUAT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.