Bellanca 17-30A N4002B

Summary

On 27 January 2002 at about 18:47 local time, a Bellanca 17-30A registered N4002B was involved in an accident near Alexandria, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 January 2002 at 18:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Alexandria, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Chandler Field Airport (AXN)

Coordinates

45.8700, -95.3691

Aircraft

Bellanca 17-30A

Registration

N4002B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alexandria → Adrian

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA070

2 people died.

The pilot's disregard of the weather evaluation and his attempt to fly into known adverse weather without an instrument rating. Factors in the accident were the low ceiling, the low visibility, and the icing conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated pilot attempted flight into known instrument meteorological conditions. A witness reported that approximately 5 minutes after the accident airplane's departure, "... someone keyed their mike and we heard heavy breathing and cussing over the radio." The witness stated that shortly after the transmission, the accident airplane emerged from the overcast cloud layer and banked steeply prior to impacting the terrain. Weather around the time of the accident was 100 feet agl overcast with 3/4 statute mile visibility with mist. There was an AIRMET in effect for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions including occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet agl and/or visibilities below 3 statute miles with light snow, light freezing drizzle, and mist. There was an AIRMET in effect for icing conditions, including occasional moderate rime/mixed/clear-icing while in clouds and/or precipitation below 6,000 feet agl. Prior to the accident flight a person representing the accident airplane contacted an Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and requested a visual flight rules (VFR) weather briefing. The AFSS weather briefer told the pilot that IFR weather conditions were forecasted at the departure airport. At the time of the post-accident examination of the wreckage there was approximately 0.125-inch of ice on the leading edges of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and top-mounted communication antenna. There were trace amounts of ice located on the leading edge of the right wingtip. No anomalies were found with the airframe, engine, or propeller that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.