Socata TBM 700 N45PM

Summary

On 15 December 2000 at about 11:45 local time, a Socata TBM 700 registered N45PM was involved in an accident near Harrisburg, Illinois, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 December 2000 at 11:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Harrisburg, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Harrisburg-Raliegh (HSB)

Coordinates

37.7306, -88.5406

Aircraft

Socata TBM 700

Registration

N45PM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winder → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI01LA048

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot not attaining the proper glidepath on the instrument approach. The pilot's decision not to fly to an alternate airport and his decision to continue the approach in weather conditions below the published minimums were contributing factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was damaged when it impacted the ground while performing a GPS approach in instrument weather conditions. The aircraft was on the third GPS approach attempt when the accident occurred. The pilot said that the runway, "...was sighted at about 3/4 of mile and [at] MDA. The [runway] lights were in sight and I had a good clear view of the [runway]... Everything looked fine visually until just before the accident. As we neared the [runway] it became apparent that the [runway] was rising in the window. I added power to stop the descent, however, there was a significant delay (much longer than normal) in the response of the engine. The engine finally spooled and at that moment a gust lifted the right wing and the left wing dropped, I corrected but there was not enough altitude and the left wing impacted the ground." The pilot said that he, "... had logged the engine parameters on this flight since the engine just had a compressor wash and everything indicated the engine was performing, as it should." The minimum descent altitude for the approach is 364 feet above the elevation of the airport. The Automated Weather Observing System at the destination airport recorded the sky condition as 200 feet overcast with a visibility of 1 1/2 statute miles. The winds were recorded as 080 degrees at 3 knots. No preexisting anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.