Cessna 501 N212M

Summary

On 8 December 2012 at about 04:34 local time, a Cessna 501 registered N212M, operated by Makaira Aircraft Sales LLC, was involved in an accident near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, United States. 6 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

8 December 2012 at 04:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

46.8208, -96.0097

Aircraft

Cessna 501

Registration

N212M

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Makaira Aircraft Sales LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Detroit Lakes → Bessemer

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN13FA101

Nobody was injured.

A loss of airplane control due to an undetermined avionics malfunction and the pilots’ inattention, which resulted in excessive airframe forces during the unusual attitude recovery. The reason for the avionics malfunction could not be determined because postaccident testing did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While climbing on a night, instrument departure, with the autopilot most likely engaged, the airplane entered into an unusual attitude. Although both pilots recalled a left climbing turn that transitioned into a left descending spiral, air traffic control radar information indicated a right climbing turn that transitioned into a right descending spiral. Both pilots stated that their attention had been focused away from the attitude indicators during the time immediately before the unusual attitude began. The pilot-in-command disconnected the autopilot and recovered the airplane by referencing the standby instruments. During the recovery, as the pilot pulled up from the nose-low attitude, both wings sustained structural damage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the nose radome quick release latches were not water tight and that gaps in these latches allowed precipitation to enter the forward avionics bay. Although, avionics testing did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an uncommanded flight maneuver by the autopilot, moisture conditions were not introduced during any of the tests. While it is possible that the moisture caused a malfunction of the avionics, it could not be definitively determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.