14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 12, 2014 in Denton, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/31/2016
Aircraft: BEECH C24, registration: N23984
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane was level at 4,500 ft as he neared the arrival airport. An air traffic controller advised him to descend to 3,500 ft and he reduced power to begin the decent. He pulled the throttle back to set manifold pressure at 19 [inches] and pulled the propeller control to set 2,000rpm. There was initially a large drop in rpm, so he eased the propeller control forward slightly. He stated the rpm initially responded, but then fell and "he had no propulsion." The pilot declared a "Mayday" and attempted to set up to glide to another nearby airport but did not have sufficient altitude to reach it. He contacted the tower at the airport and reported that he would not make the field, and he then set up for a night forced landing to a dark area next to a road. Close to the ground, the airplane's landing lights illuminated a tree. The pilot grabbed the flap handle, applied all three notches of flaps, and back pressure on the controls. The stall warning horn came on, and the pilot pushed the nose of the airplane "back over." The pilot said that he didn't remember anything else until they were on the ground. The front seat passenger sustained fatal injuries.
A postaccident examination of the engine showed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. In a subsequent statement, the pilot reported that, although he thought he had his hand on the propeller control, he actually had it on the mixture knob. As a result, he inadvertently moved the mixture knob too far aft, which would have made the fuel-air mixture to the engine too lean and caused the engine to lose power.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot mistakenly manipulated the airplane's mixture knob rather than the propeller control knob during the descent, reducing the airplane's mixture knob to where the fuel-air mixture to the engine was too lean, which caused the engine to fail, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the subsequent night forced landing.
**This report was modified on August 23, 2016. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.**
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On April 12, 2014, about 2119 central daylight time, a Beech C24R airplane, N23984, impacted terrain near Denton, Texas, during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, one passenger sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. It was registered to N-Ovation Systems, LLC, and was being operated on a visual flight rules flight plan under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cross country flight originated from Drake Field (FYV), Fayetteville, Arkansas, about 1830, and its destination was Hicks Field (T67), Fort Worth, Texas.
The pilot reported he was level at 4,500 ft as he neared Class B airspace. Air traffic control (ATC) advised him to descend to 3,500 ft and he reduced power to begin the decent. He pulled the throttle back to set manifold pressure at 19 [inches] and pulled the propeller control to set 2,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). There was initially a large drop in RPM, so he eased the propeller control forward slightly. He stated the RPM initially responded, but then fell and "he had no propulsion." He said he received a manifold pressure alarm and pulled the throttle back to idle. The pilot scanned the engine instruments and the engine oil pressure and temperature were "normal." He declared a "Mayday" and indicated to ATC an assumed loss of oil pressure to the propeller. He pushed the propeller and throttle controls full forward, but the engine and propeller did not respond. He attempted to set up a glide to nearby Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO), but did not have enough altitude to reach the airport. He contacted DTO tower and told them that he would not make the field and then set up for a forced landing to a dark area next to a road. Close to the ground the airplane's landing lights illuminated a tree. The pilot grabbed the flap handle, applied all three notches of flaps, and back pressure on the controls. The stall warning horn came on and the pilot pushed the nose of the airplane "back over." The pilot said that he didn't remember anything else until they were on the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the pilot contacted approach control about 2116, and transmitted "Mayday, the aircraft lost forward thrust." The arrival one controller gave the pilot directions to the Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO), and transferred the pilot to DTO tower.
DTO tower received a call from the pilot. The tower controller cleared the airplane to land on runway 18.
In a statement to a FAA inspector, the pilot told him that he had pulled the wrong knob back. He thought he had his hand on the propeller control, when actually he had it on the mixture knob. He moved the mixture knob too far aft which caused the engine to sputter and fail.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 39, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued March 6, 1999, and a second-class airman medical certificate issued May 4, 2011, with the limitation "Must wear corrective lenses."
The pilot's logbook indicated the pilot had approximately 178 total hours, and 62 hours in Beech C24R type aircraft at the time of the accident. The pilot logged six hours in the 90 days prior to the accident, and four hours in 30 days before the accident. He also logged 16 total night hours.
The pilot's last flight review was accomplished on October 23, 2013.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a Beech C24R. The four-seat, low wing, single-engine airplane, serial number MC-471, was manufactured in 1977, and had a standard airworthiness certificate classifying its operation in the normal category, dated July 24, 2013.
The airplane was powered by one Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 fuel-injected, 4-cylinder horizontally opposed reciprocating engine, serial number RL-27762-51A, rated at 200 horsepower at 2,700 rpm.
The airplane was equipped with a 2-blade Hartzell model HC-M2YR-1BF constant-speed propeller, hub serial number EN334E.
According to the airplane's airframe logbook, the airplane underwent an annual inspection on September 13, 2013. The recorded total airframe time at the annual inspection was 6,729.0 hours. The last logbook entry was on April 3, 2014 where the airplane's inoperative alternator was replaced. The recorded tachometer time was 1,334.0 hours and the total airframe time was 6,783.6 hours. The airframe time at the accident was determined to be 6,790.0 hours.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 2053, the Routine Aviation Weather Observation for DTO was wind 160 degrees at 14 knots, gusting 23 knots, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 61 degrees F, and altimeter 29.74 inches Hg.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane impacted in a field of mesquite trees about 3/4-mile from the approach end of runway 18 at DTO. The accident site elevation was about 653 ft mean sea level (msl).
The airplane's impact heading was about 160-degrees. A small grove of trees, about 25 ft in height, and a ditch filled with water preceded the airplane's final resting location. Some branches in the trees were broken and showed impact marks from the airplane. A ground impact mark was observed about 70 ft from the trees along the 160-degree heading. About 20 ft beyond the ground scar was the airplane main wreckage.
The airplane rested upright against two trees, a large tree, about 6-inches in diameter, and a smaller one, and was oriented on a 020-degree heading. The large tree was embedded in the right wing at the right flap and wing root. The right flap was broken out and found resting on the ground behind the wing. The outer 30 inched of the flap was bent upward about 30 degrees. The right aileron was broken out and fractured at mid-span. The right main landing gear was collapsed.
The forward fuselage at the forward cabin seats was broken downward and canted right about 30 degrees. The forward windscreen was broken out and fragmented. The instrument panel was broken forward and down. The left and right cabin door posts were broken forward and the aft portion of the door frame to the right door was bent forward at the door latch. The cabin window immediately behind the right door frame was broken and a portion of the Plexiglas was broken out. The nose gear was collapsed.
The airplane's left wing was bent upward near mid-span about 15 degrees. A 5-inch long "C" shaped dent was located in the leading edge about 18 inches outboard of mid-span. The wing leading edge from the dent outboard to the wingtip was bent and buckled aft. The left flap was bent and broken forward beneath the wing. The left aileron was intact, attached to the wing, and showed minor dents and buckles. The left main landing gear remained extended. The landing gear door was bent and buckled about the gear strut.
The fuselage, aft of the forward seats, and empennage were intact and showed minor damage. The airplane's two-bladed propeller showed one blade undamaged and the other blade bent aft and twisted at mid-span. The bent blade showed rubbing and chordwise scratches near the hub. Control continuity was confirmed from the cabin to all control surfaces. The airplane was retained for further examination.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, Texas, conducted an autopsy of the passenger who perished in the accident. According to the report, the passenger's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head and thoracic spine due to [a] light aircraft crash.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The airplane was examined on April 14 and 15, 2014, at Lancaster, Texas. The examination of the airplane's fuel, vacuum, and electrical systems, showed no anomalies. An examination of the airplane's engine showed no pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operations. Additionally, an examination of the airplane's constant-speed propeller showed no pre-impact anomalies that would have precluded normal propeller operations.
A follow up examination of the airplane was conducted on July 27, 2016, at Lancaster, Texas. The restraint systems to all of the seats showed that all of the seat belt bayonets and buckles were undamaged and worked properly, that the belts were properly secured to their attach points in the floor, and there was no stretching or damage to the belt webbing. The shoulder harness attachments were intact. There was no stretching or damage to the harness webbing, and the inertia locking mechanisms worked properly.
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA198
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, April 12, 2014 in Denton, TX
Aircraft: BEECH C24R, registration: N23984
Injuries: 1 Fatal,1 Serious,1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 12, 2014, about 2115 central daylight time, a Beech 24, N23984, registered to the pilot's company, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in the vicinity of Denton, Texas. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, one passenger sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The personal cross country flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity. The flight originated from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and its destination was Fort Worth, Texas.
The pilot reported that he reduced power to begin the decent to his destination airport. Upon adjusting the throttle forward to adjust the rate of decent, he reported a loss of thrust. He attempted to set up a glide to a nearby airport, but did not have enough altitude and landed the airplane in a field populated with small mesquite trees.
Jennifer Campbell Lunow
Jennifer Campbell Lunow, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas, passed from this life to her heavenly home Saturday, April 12, 2014, in Denton, Texas. She was born October 13, 1978, in Tulsa, Okla., to Gene and Linda Morgan Campbell. She attended Mounds High School where she graduated as valedictorian in 1997. She was drum major, a cheerleader, softball and basketball player and State Beta Club president. She attended Northeastern State University.
Jennifer loved to be involved in everything, and she always excelled in everything. She was so full of life and would just light up the room. She loved people; those who met her loved her.
She met and married Danny Lunow, the love of her life in 2009. They were blessed when Olivia Morgan Lunow was born.
Jennifer loved to sing and knew just about every song you could imagine. Music was such a part of her life especially singing for Jesus. She was such an important part of all our lives. We will miss her so much, but we will see her again because we know she is singing in the choirs of heaven.
She was preceded in death by her grandpa, Perry A. Morgan, whom we know met her at the pearly gates; great-grandparents, Searcy and Ruby Brooks, James Perry and Eula Morgan.
Jennifer is survived by her beloved husband, Danny Lunow and precious daughter, Olivia Morgan Lunow of the home; parents, Gene and Linda Campbell of Sapulpa; sister, Leslie Campbell of Sapulpa; grandparents, Ruby Charlene Morgan-Skaggs and husband Darold of Sand Springs and Harold and Linda Campbell of Tulsa; parents-in-law, Dwight and Linda Lunow of Branson, Mo.; brothers-in-law, Dustin and wife, Rachel Lunow of Branson, and Darren and wife, Randi Lunow of Broken Arrow; sister-in-law, Laurie Lunow of Fayetteville, Ark.; nieces, Faith, Regan and Emma Lunow of Branson; best friend Sarah and husband, Eric and daughter, Maddie Salazar, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.
Visitation will be Thursday, April 17, 2014, from 6-8 p.m. at Smith Funeral Chapel, Sapulpa. Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2014, at First Baptist Church, 200 S. Elm in Sapulpa with a fellowship immediately following.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Smith Funeral Home, Sapulpa.
Source: http://www.sapulpaheraldonline.com
A Fort Worth man and his daughter survived a small plane crash Saturday night, but he lost his wife in the accident.T
he single-engine plane was bound for Hicks Field, but crashed short of Denton Enterprise Airport along Masch Branch Road after an apparent engine failure.
Jennifer Lunow, 35, was killed on impact.
Fellow pilots reported hearing that Jennifer's husband, Danny, who was flying the plane, began having engine trouble and tried to land at the airport in Denton rather than his home runway at Hicks Field.
Longtime pilot Michael Reddick was friends with the couple and says whenever a plane crashes, there's always talk in the flying community about what went wrong.
He says the crash Jennifer died in appears to be a tragic accident.
"What we can tell he did wrong …he lost his engine," said Redick. "At night...on a windy day."
Jennifer was the vice president of her family's graphics company. The Lunows were building a home inside their plane hangar in far North Fort Worth.
"She was a real outgoing person," said Reddick. "Just…friendly. Everybody loved her."
The people who live and work at Hicks Field know they can't change what happened, but they're looking for ways to help Danny.
"We're just gonna be here to help him any way he needs to support him," said Reddick.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com
The woman who died in a plane crash Saturday night in Denton has been identified as Jennifer Lunow of Saginaw.
Lunow, 35, died when a single-engine plane piloted by her husband crashed in a field about a half-mile north of Denton Enterprise Airport.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office said Lunow died from blunt force trauma to the head and spine in the crash.
Lunow’s husband and child were taken to Denton Regional Medical Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety board and is under review by the Federal Aviation Administration, officials said. The family was flying from Arkansas to Hicks Airfield in north Fort Worth when they began having mechanical problems and tried to make an emergency landing just west of Denton, officials said.
A plane crash that occurred around 9:15 p.m. Saturday north of the Denton Municipal Airport killed one woman, and sent the two other passengers – a man and young boy – to the hospital.
Officials say the pilot was flying to Fort Worth Hicks Airfield when he contacted air traffic control.
The man told air traffic controllers that there was low oil pressure in the single-engine plane and that he needed to land as soon as possible.
When attempting to land the Beechcraft, however, the plane crashed half a mile from the airport’s landing strip.
A female passenger on board died from the wreck, while a man and young boy were taken to Denton Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Names of the passengers on board the plane have yet to be released.
The aircraft is registered to N-Ovation Systems, LCC of Sepulpa, Okla.
======
DENTON — One person was killed and two others were injured Saturday night when a small plane crashed northwest of Denton.
The single-engine Beechcraft went down north of the Denton Municipal Airport runway near Highway 380 just before 9:30 p.m.
The pilot made an emergency radio call saying he was losing oil pressure and needed to land, but he missed the runway and the plane crashed.
"I think he was in line with the runway at the airport before he crashed, because he's about 500 feet, 700 feet from the roadway," said Denton police spokesman Officer Orlando Hinojosa.
The impact killed a woman aboard the aircraft. The pilot and a young child survived with non-life threatening injuries. No names were released.
Investigators were returning to the crash scene on Sunday morning.
One person is dead and two others are hurt after a small plane crash Saturday night around 9:20.
The Beechcraft aircraft went down along Masch Branch Rd. near Highway 380 in Denton, according to the FAA.
According to police, the pilot radioed that he was having oil pressure problems with the engine of the plane.
He tried to make it to Denton Enterprise Airport but crashed about a half of a mile away.
A woman onboard died instantly. The pilot and a toddler are in the hospital. They are expected to survive.
FAA and NTSB investigators are looking into the accident.
The Denton Police Department and FAA say one person is dead after a single engine plane crashed Saturday night.
The crash happened at about 9:15 p.m. near W. University and Masch Branch Road.
According to Denton police, three people were aboard the single engine Beechcraft , the pilot, a woman and a toddler.
The woman was pronounced dead at scene.
The Federal Aviation Administraion and National Transportation Safety Board are expected to be on scene Sunday morning to begin their investigation.
Passenger killed in single-engine plane crash near Denton Enterprise Airport
A single-engine airplane crashed a half mile north of the Denton Enterprise Airport late Saturday night, killing a passenger instantly upon impact.
Kenneth Hedges, spokesman for Denton Fire Department, said a family of three was on its way to Hicks Airfield located 12 miles north of downtown Fort Worth.
They were flying in a Beechcraft single-engine plane when they attempted to make an emergency landing due to mechanical issues, he said. A female passenger, the wife of the pilot, was killed instantly, according to officials.
The plane crashed between U.S. Highway 380 and Jim Christal Road on the west side of Masch Branch late Saturday night, officials said. The plane was not on airport property, Hedges said, adding the husband and their child were transported by Denton EMS with non-life threatening injuries.
Officer Orlando Hinojosa, spokesman for Denton police, said they were dispatched to the crash at 9:20 p.m.
"The pilot made a call to air control at Denton Airport saying he had lost all pressure," Hinojosa said.
Denton police will secure the crime scene until the National Transportation Safety Board can come out to investigate Sunday morning.
