Beechcraft B60 N6693A

Summary

On 29 November 2008 at about 16:00 local time, a Beechcraft B60 registered N6693A, operated by Rice Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Rock River, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 November 2008 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Rock River, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.7103, -106.0217

Aircraft

Beechcraft B60

Registration

N6693A

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Rice Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scottsbluff → Saratoga

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09CA051

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line due to the lack of forward visibility because of an ice-covered windshield. Contributing to the accident was the flight's encounter with icing weather conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight conducted under instrument flight rules, he encountered clouds that contained clear ice. Ice built up rapidly on the airplane, which was in cruise flight at 16,000 feet. In an effort to get out of the icing conditions, he requested and received clearance to progressively lower altitudes down to 10,000 feet. The airplane continued to accumulate ice. He requested a turn, and this was denied by the controller as there were two other airplanes in the vicinity with similar icing problems. He then requested and received clearance to descend to 9,000 feet, where he could see portions of the ground. At this point, "both windshields were completely covered with clear ice as were the unprotected portions of the aircraft" and both engines were operating at full power. The pilot informed the controller that he needed to descend further. At an altitude of 7,500 feet, he circled several times attempting to see if he could reach an airport for landing. No ice had melted or come off the airplane, and the weather was deteriorating. The pilot decided to land on a highway. On final approach to land, the airplane collided with a power line, which severed the upper half of the rudder and vertical stabilizer. The pilot turned the airplane slightly left, and landed the airplane with the landing gear down in a terraced field next to the highway. During the landing roll, the landing gear was sheared off when the airplane encountered a ditch. The pilot stated that he had "no forward visibility due to the clear ice that completely covered the windshields."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.