Beechcraft 19 N6509T

Summary

On 18 January 2009 at about 00:30 local time, a Beechcraft 19 registered N6509T, operated by Brian A McMillen, was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, 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

18 January 2009 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Purdue University Airport (LAF)

Coordinates

40.4033, -86.9392

Aircraft

Beechcraft 19

Registration

N6509T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Brian A McMillen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lafayette → South Bend

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN09CA136

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent encounter with icing conditions during initial climb. Contributing to the accident were the lack of visibility during the landing due to an ice covered windscreen, and the structural ice that adversely affected the flight characteristics of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the night flight, the pilot obtained a "full, low-level weather briefing" and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan. Shortly after departure, the pilot encountered icing conditions and began to experience a severe vibration in the aircraft flight controls at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot elected to return to the departure airport. During the instrument approach to land, the airplane continued to accumulate ice on the airframe, and continued toward the terrain in a 1,500 feet per minute descent. At 1,750 feet msl, the airplane "broke out of the clouds with the windscreen completely covered with ice." Subsequently, the airplane impacted the terrain approximately 40 feet short of the runway and skidded to a stop on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the airplane's systems and powerplant revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane's wings and windscreen had approximately 1 inch of ice on the respective surfaces. The pilot reported that icing conditions were not forecasted or reported prior to his flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.