Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; North Texas
November 27, 2019: Aircraft nose gear collapsed upon landing.
Chandelle Flying Club Inc
https://registry.faa.gov/N8035G
Date: 27-NOV-19
Time: 19:15:00Z
Regis#: N8035G
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 177RG
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: DALLAS
State: TEXAS
November 17, 2015: Aircraft on landing, gear collapsed.
Date: 17-NOV-15
Time: 22:00:00Z
Regis#: N8035G
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 177RG
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Unknown
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA San Antonio FSDO-17
City: AUSTIN
State: Texas
Officials at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport have shut down one of the airport’s two runways after a small plane landed in distress with unsafe landing gear.
The landing gear of the plane — a Cessna 177RG Cardinal — had collapsed, but the aircraft landed safely and no injuries were reported, airport spokesman Jim Halbrook said.
Officials have shut down one of the airport’s two runways for passenger traffic while officials figure out how to remove the plane. However, the airport’s capacity is such that it is not anticipated to affect any departures or arrivals.
Source: http://www.statesman.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
New Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport (KSDY) manager is anything but new to flying
Terrance Ward’s experience includes seven years of active duty with the Army and Air Force.
At 28 years old, Sidney-Richland County Airport manager Terrance Ward hardly looks like someone in such an important position. But don’t let his youthful appearance fool you. The seven-year active duty Army and Air Force Purdue graduate, currently in the reserves, knows what he is doing.
“I’m not new to this,” Ward said with a laugh. “I have a degree in airport management. As a pilot, I have insight into how the airfield works and I’m familiar with aviation in general. I did similar work in the military. I managed a lot of personnel and as an officer we manage inventory, the airport, the airfield. I thought it was a good transition.”
His office walls are lined with flying certificates of different aircraft, airplane and helicopter cockpit posters and models of aircraft he has flown in his career. His reserve uniform hangs in the corner, ready to go whenever needed.
Ward took his current position in March, barely two weeks off of active duty, he said. An Indianapolis native, he has spent the last several years overseas in the most populated cities in the world.
“I was in Turkey, Saudi Arabia,” he listed. “When I was in Istanbul there was like 30 million people, Bangladesh, there were 55 million people. (Sidney is) a smaller city. It’s different but the people are nice and I’ve enjoyed it.”
As airport manager, he is in charge of the day-to-day safety and operations of the airport, he said. His day begins at the Fairview airport at 6 a.m. every morning, where he goes through a safety checklist, Sidney is next, usually around 8 a.m., he said. Safety checks include fencing, wildlife, cones, checking for EPA and OSHA regulations, degraded pavement, standing water
Throughout the rest of the day, jobs include working with the TSA contractor, wildlife hazard management and working on airport improvements.
“I’m here to make sure the airport follows all the laws and we continue to maintain funding,” Ward said. “I spend all my time at the airport. I try not to go past 12 hours a day, but there are so many variables. If it snows at 2 a.m. we’re going to be out here to make sure the runway is clear and safe.”
Improvements that Ward is currently working on include adding a new taxiway, a ramp area, an improved parking lot and new hangars, all of which are geared toward adding new business to the airport. However, he is also working on side projects to get the community more involved with its airport.
“We’re growing at a small rate, but we’re doing the best we can to keep the airport well known,” he said. “Right now, we’re working on an art project with the high school. (Students) will create art that will go in our hallways. It will help get the community involved and aware of the airport.”
Ward noted that another part of his position is working with the hospital board, which meets once a month. He has to provide spending and progress reports each month to the board. As a public entity he encouraged those with thoughts on the airport to attend the meeting.
“(The board has) been very helpful,” he said. “We’re taxpayer funded, so we try to be as responsible as possible and as available as we can. Anyone can come out if they have concerns...and provide feedback for where they’d like to see the airport go. We want to work with everyone.”
As a kid, Ward said he wanted to be an astronaut. It’s why he went to Purdue and joined the Air Force. As a reserve pilot, he still goes to Chicago once a month to fly Blackhawk Helicopters and C12 airplanes.
“Luckily they gave me an opportunity to transition (back to civilian life),” he said. “I still enjoy serving. That’s why I’m a reserve officer.”
- Source: http://www.sidneyherald.com
Nose wheel comes off aircraft in Madurai
One of the two nose wheels of the Colombo-Madurai SpiceJet flight came off the aircraft with 70 passengers while taxiing at Madurai Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
However, the pilot managed to bring the aircraft to the apron with the single nose wheel, airport sources said.
All the 70 passengers and five crew members were safe, sources said.
Sources added that one of the nose wheels got cut off after the aircraft landed at around 3.20 p.m.
The aircraft was grounded and its onward journey to Hyderabad had to be cancelled.
Airline sources said that efforts were on to make alternative arrangement for the passengers.
- Source: http://www.thehindu.com
However, the pilot managed to bring the aircraft to the apron with the single nose wheel, airport sources said.
All the 70 passengers and five crew members were safe, sources said.
Sources added that one of the nose wheels got cut off after the aircraft landed at around 3.20 p.m.
The aircraft was grounded and its onward journey to Hyderabad had to be cancelled.
Airline sources said that efforts were on to make alternative arrangement for the passengers.
- Source: http://www.thehindu.com
Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, YN-ISA, Nicaragua SA/Helinica: Fatal accident occurred November 17, 2015 near Santa-Fe bridge, San Juan river, Southern Nicaragua
James S. Horrisberger
Police sub-director Francisco Diaz says the remains of two Americans were found after Tuesday's crash, as well as the body of pilot Francisco Lemus.
One victim was identified as James S. Horrisberger, a Florida-based Coca-Cola executive and member of that state's citrus processors association.
The other American's identity was not known.
Lacayo, 67, is the son-in-law of former Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro and served in her Cabinet. He is chief executive of San Juan Fruit and TicoFrut.
The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter with four people aboard was traveling from San Carlos, Rio San Juan, to Managua when it crashed early Tuesday from poor visibility, officials said.
- Sources:
http://fdocgrower.com
http://www.foxnews.com
La jornada de búsqueda y rescate de los desaparecidos inició desde el momento en que se reportó el estruendo del accidente aéreo y se mantuvo activa hasta las 5:30 de la tarde de ayer, con helicópteros, buzos, lanchas de la Fuerza Naval y hasta con cooperación de pescadores y pobladores de la zona del río San Juan. Hoy la búsqueda y rescate se reinicia a partir de las 5:30 de la mañana.
Una persona muerta y tres desaparecidas, entre ellas Antonio Lacayo Oyanguren, CEO de TicoFrut, director ejecutivo del Centro Empresarial Pellas y que durante el período de la presidenta Violeta Chamorro fungió como ministro de la Presidencia, es el resultado de la caída en el río San Juan de un helicóptero ayer alrededor de las 5:30 a.m.
José Antonio Lacayo, exministro de la Presidencia de Nicaragua, murió en un accidente aéreo cuando viajaba en un helicóptero sobre el río San Juan, al sur de Nicaragua, informó la Policía Nacional.
El helicóptero, tipo Bell 206 I-4, volaba desde San Carlos hacia Managua con cuatro personas a bordo. Se desplomó de manera inmediata sin darse a conocer aún las causas del accidente.
Las autoridades informaron que la aeronave cayó sobre el río San Juan, en el extremo sur de Nicaragua.
Francisco Díaz, subdirector de la Policía Nacional, indicó que el cuerpo de uno de los ocupantes ya fue rescatado.
Antonio Lacayo Oyanguren es yerno de la expresidenta Violeta Barros de Chamorro.
La aeronave se precipitó entre las 05:45 y las 06:15 hora local cerca del Puente Santa Fe, ubicado sobre el río San Juan, según el Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil (INAC).
“En estos momentos activamos el plan de búsqueda y salvamento con el ejército y la fuerza aérea”, puntualizó el director del INAC, Carlos Salazar.
Según la policía, en la nave también viajaban dos personas de nacionalidad estadounidense. Uno fue identificado como Phillips Tucks. El piloto del helicóptero es Juan Francisco Lemus.
El grupo había salido minutos antes del desplome para hacer una inspección en plantaciones de naranjas, indica la prensa local.
Lacayo fue ministro durante el gobierno de Violeta Barrios (1990-1997). Actualmente era el director ejecutivo de la empresa Tico Fruit, que cuenta con una planta en San Carlos, Alajuela.
Las autoridades de Aeronáutica Civil de Nicaragua, el ejército y la Policía Nacional realizan las labores de búsqueda y rescate para dar con los desaparecidos.
Police: Drunk passenger tried to open exit door on Boston-bound flight
Investigation determines passenger was intoxicated, tried to open exit door. No known nexus to terrorism at this time. - Massachusetts State Police
BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – A female passenger was restrained Tuesday on a British Airways flight headed for Logan Airport after allegedly trying to open an exit door.
The flight, British Airways flight 213, took off from Heathrow Airport in London Tuesday morning and landed at Logan around 1:30 p.m.
State Police said they believe the passenger was intoxicated and not trying to commit a terrorist act.
"A passenger on British Airways Flight 213, a 777 en route from Heathrow to Boston, tried to open an exit door and has been restrained. The cockpit is secure and the flight is continuing to Boston," the FAA said in a statement.
In a statement British Airways said they will not allow an abusive or unruly passenger.
"Our customers and crew deserve to have a safe and enjoyable flight and we do not tolerate abusive behavior. Our crew have requested that police meet the flight in Boston due to an unruly customer on board," the statement said.
Former American Airlines pilot Bill Dee told FOX25 it would require more strength then a person has to open one of those doors mid-flight.
“That's a lot of pressure. And with the fact that they're pluck-tight doors, you'd have to pull the door in a little bit so the hinges could do that little twist and then you'd have to get the door out. So I think its next to impossible,” Dee said.
Security expert Anthony Amore said the Mass. State Police have dealt with problems like this before and know what to do.
“The Massachusetts State Police at Logan are very, very experienced in this sort of thing. I can’t think of any other group of law enforcement I’d rather have responding to it. They will deal with this person severely, they know exactly what to do and how to handle it,” he said.
State police said the passenger will most likely face charges including at least interfering with a flight crew.
“The standard charge would be interfering with a flight crew and then depending on what else the person might have been doing on the aircraft people get involved, there will be a representative from the TSA there and Homeland Security will probably prosecute the crime at a federal level,” Amore said.
Some passengers saw what happened, while others said they weren't even aware.
Sean Delaney was on the plane and said, "She was right in front of us and then she tried to open the door in the back of the plane."
Another passenger, Charles Hinton, said, "The crew pretty much had her subdued with very little problems. She wasn't shouting, she wasn't thrashing. It seemed more like a panic attack."
Those on the plane described the woman as a blonde in her 30s. Police say the incident does not appear to be terrorism related, but with the recent events in Paris, passengers say they wondered about it.
"With the events going on in the world it makes things scary," one traveler said.
Story, video and photo gallery: http://www.myfoxboston.com
BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – A female passenger was restrained Tuesday on a British Airways flight headed for Logan Airport after allegedly trying to open an exit door.
The flight, British Airways flight 213, took off from Heathrow Airport in London Tuesday morning and landed at Logan around 1:30 p.m.
State Police said they believe the passenger was intoxicated and not trying to commit a terrorist act.
"A passenger on British Airways Flight 213, a 777 en route from Heathrow to Boston, tried to open an exit door and has been restrained. The cockpit is secure and the flight is continuing to Boston," the FAA said in a statement.
In a statement British Airways said they will not allow an abusive or unruly passenger.
"Our customers and crew deserve to have a safe and enjoyable flight and we do not tolerate abusive behavior. Our crew have requested that police meet the flight in Boston due to an unruly customer on board," the statement said.
Former American Airlines pilot Bill Dee told FOX25 it would require more strength then a person has to open one of those doors mid-flight.
“That's a lot of pressure. And with the fact that they're pluck-tight doors, you'd have to pull the door in a little bit so the hinges could do that little twist and then you'd have to get the door out. So I think its next to impossible,” Dee said.
Security expert Anthony Amore said the Mass. State Police have dealt with problems like this before and know what to do.
“The Massachusetts State Police at Logan are very, very experienced in this sort of thing. I can’t think of any other group of law enforcement I’d rather have responding to it. They will deal with this person severely, they know exactly what to do and how to handle it,” he said.
State police said the passenger will most likely face charges including at least interfering with a flight crew.
“The standard charge would be interfering with a flight crew and then depending on what else the person might have been doing on the aircraft people get involved, there will be a representative from the TSA there and Homeland Security will probably prosecute the crime at a federal level,” Amore said.
Some passengers saw what happened, while others said they weren't even aware.
Sean Delaney was on the plane and said, "She was right in front of us and then she tried to open the door in the back of the plane."
Another passenger, Charles Hinton, said, "The crew pretty much had her subdued with very little problems. She wasn't shouting, she wasn't thrashing. It seemed more like a panic attack."
Those on the plane described the woman as a blonde in her 30s. Police say the incident does not appear to be terrorism related, but with the recent events in Paris, passengers say they wondered about it.
"With the events going on in the world it makes things scary," one traveler said.
Story, video and photo gallery: http://www.myfoxboston.com
Pauma Valley is rare golf club with own airstrip: Pilot members enjoy luxury of going from cockpit to first tee in half hour
Bob Gary (left) and Fred Clarey are Pauma Valley Country Club are pilots and golf members who regularly use the airpark on the club grounds.
Pauma Valley member and pilot Gary Boone.
A couple is invited by friends to play in a member-guest golf tournament. They are struck by the natural beauty of the setting, surrounded by citrus and avocado groves at the foot of Palomar Mountain.
The golf is first-rate on one of the few courses in California designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. And then during the round they hear a buzz from overhead. A small plane circles the valley and appears to land nearby.
“You have an airport here?” Gary Boone remembers asking his host on his first visit 19 years ago. “He said, ‘Oh yeah, we didn’t tell you about that?’
“Well, I dropped my clubs,” Boone said, “went up to the clubhouse, put in my application for a membership and we were members a week later.”
Boone, an architect from Palos Verdes, had been a licensed private pilot since 1989, and when he discovered a club that could satisfy both his aerial and golfing passions, he was all in.
That’s the way it’s been for many of the dozen Pauma Valley members who house their planes in hangars and use the 2,700-foot air strip that is a short cart ride from the first tee.
On a recent warm, cloudless Sunday, the club hosted an annual open house at its airpark and essentially staged its own private airshow, with World War II biplanes mixing with such classics as an older model Blue Angels jet.
There are few golf courses in the country that can claim their own airstrip. In July, Golf Magazine compiled a list of the top golf courses with airstrips in North America and counted seven, Pauma Valley included. There were two in Texas, and one each in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Nova Scotia, Canada.
“It’s a niche market,” said Terry Abeyta, Pauma Valley’s marketing and membership director, “but a cool niche.”
About 60 of Pauma’s members hail from cold-winter states and come to enjoy the sunshine in the winter. Some joke that Pauma is a second Colorado to a number of folks, and it’s easy to see why those who like the rugged outdoors would be attracted to the place.
Speaking of rugged — member Mike Keenan is from Anchorage, Alaska, and has been a member since 1998. It was 80 degrees on the Sunday of the airshow; the temperature in Anchorage was approaching zero.
“Not warm enough to golf, but at least the bears are in hibernation,” Keenan quipped.
“There was another Alaskan who was a pilot who was a member here,” Keenan explained of his first connection. “When I came here and saw what was going on, I said, ‘This looks like the ticket.’”
Fred Clarey is the president of the Pauma pilots association. Boone observes that Clarey is so energetic that “he’s an 8-year-old living in a 70-year-old’s body.”
Clarey and his wife, Joanne, lived in West L.A. and Fred worked in aircraft sales in Van Nuys. They were members at Bel-Air Country Club until they discovered Pauma Valley six years ago.
“You just can’t find an environment like this anymore, especially with the quality of the golf course,“ Clarey said.
Added Boone, “Being here is like going back to middle America in the 1950s. There’s a sense of community here that I thought was gone forever. Everyone is so welcoming and engaging. That’s not a selling point; it really is a special place.”
Pauma Valley has long been revered as one of the purest private layouts in Southern California. When celebrities began coming to Pauma as a retreat in the 1950s area developers figured they needed something to do for recreation, and they desired a high-profile golf architect.
Few at the time were more notable than Jones Sr., and with architect Ted Robinson assisting, they produced a timeless design.
Four years after it opened in late 1960, Pauma Valley got priceless national publicity when Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Mike Souchak and a very young Jack Nicklaus played a televised “Challenge Golf” match as part of “Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf” series.
Actor and golf nut Bill Murray is the club’s most noted member, but other than musician Huey Lewis the membership of 400 (about 200 of which play golf) leans more toward successful business people than celebrities.
Boone owns a home in Bend, Ore., where his son lives, and he and his wife, Patti, make the 3½-hour flight up there occasionally. (A jaunt to Santa Monica is a half hour.)
“We could basically live anywhere in the world,” Boone said, “but we can’t find a better place than this.”
Notable
JC Golf has added Woods Valley Golf Club in Valley Center to its stable of golf facilities, bringing its total to eight in San Diego and Temecula. Woods Valley now will be available at a discount for those who have the JC Players Card.
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Pauma Valley, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1960, sits at the foot of Palomar Mountain.
Cessna 182G Skylane, N2440R, registered to and operated by Moore Aviation: Fatal accident occurred November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/26/2017
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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 instrument rated pilot did not receive a weather briefing nor file a flight plan prior to departing on a VFR cross-country flight. Radar data showed that the airplane proceeded west on course after departure. As the airplane neared a north/south-oriented mountain range, it deviated from the direct course to the destination, turning to the southwest and then to the north. Overlaying the airplane's flight path on a weather radar image showed that the airplane began the deviation as it approached an area of precipitation. Additionally, photographs taken by a passenger during the flight indicated that the airplane was flying above a solid overcast. As the airplane flew north parallel to the eastern slope of the mountain range, the pilot contacted the destination airport's air traffic control tower and reported that he was descending out of 13,000 ft, that he was between cloud layers, and that he wanted to perform an instrument landing system approach to the airport . He reported being 5 miles east of the airport; however, radar data indicated that the airplane was about 25 miles east and on the other side of the mountain range from the destination airport. The pilot then said the situation was "pretty hairy . . . I can see the ground . . . I'm just trying to maintain visibility right now," and, a few minutes later, "we are really having a tough time trying to get out of this [*mess]." Radio contact was lost shortly thereafter. Radar data indicated an erratic flight path and a varying groundspeed during the last 4 minutes of the flight. Radar contact was lost, and the airplane impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain in a near vertical attitude. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
In addition to the precipitation indicated by the weather radar imagery, satellite imagery showed cloud cover over the accident area with tops about 28,000 ft. The weather imagery, the pilot's statements, the erratic flight path, and the airplane's impact attitude are consistent with the airplane entering instrument meteorological conditions and the pilot developing spatial disorientation and losing control.
Toxicological testing revealed 0.326 (ug.mL, ug/g) sertraline, a prescription antidepressant, in the pilot's heart blood and desmethylsertraline, a metabolite of sertraline, in the pilot's liver and heart blood. The pilot's medical records indicated that he was being treated for depression with sertraline, and, several months before the accident, the pilot's health care provider noted that the pilot's depression was well controlled.. Therefore, it is unlikely that effects from the pilot's depression or use of sertraline contributed to the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of control.
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Moore Aviation LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N2440R
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On November 16, 2015, at 1259 mountain standard time (mst), a Cessna 182G, N2440R, impacted wooded mountainous terrain in Sandia Park, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Moore Aviation, LLC, Wichita Falls, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Kickapoo Airport (KCWC), Wichita Falls, Texas, at 0937 central standard time, and was en route to Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG), Albuquerque
There was no record that the pilot received a weather briefing before his departure from KCWC. Radar data showed that the airplane proceeded on course after departing KCWC. The radar data indicated that the airplane's transponder was set on mode A instead of mode C, and no altitude information was transmitted. Ground speeds during the en route portion of the flight were consistent with normal cruise speeds. As the airplane neared the Sandia Mountains, a north/south-oriented mountain range, it deviated from the direct course to its destination, turning to the southwest and then to the north.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) transcripts, at 1252:01, as the airplane flew north parallel to the eastern edge of the mountain range, the pilot contacted KAEG air traffic control tower (ATCT) and reported that he was "descending out of 13,000 feet, trying to get over weather but we couldn't get high enough to make it work," and that he was "kind of in between layers." The pilot said that he wanted to "shoot the I-L-S (instrument landing system)" and that he was "east, probably less than 5 miles" from KAEG. The pilot was given the KAEG localizer frequency and told to contact Albuquerque (KABQ) ATCT for a "short range I-F-R (instrument flight rules) clearance."
The pilot contacted KABQ ATCT at 1252:45 mst and reported that he was 5 miles east of KAEG and wanted "to shoot the I-L-S [because] we got caught up in some weather unintentionally." The controller assigned the airplane a beacon code but was unable to locate the airplane on radar.
KABQ ATCT coordinated with KABQ air route traffic control center (ZAB) in an attempt to locate the airplane. ZAB reported that they had received radar returns from the airplane, but that the airplane was on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, 25 miles east of KAEG. The minimum en route altitude in that area was 11,500 feet.
At 1254:24, the pilot said it was getting "pretty hairy. . .I can see the ground . . . I'm just trying to maintain visibility right now." Communications with the pilot intermittent, and ZAB requested an overflying air carrier, Envoy Air flight 3058, to relay messages, At 1257:35, in response to receiving the KABQ altimeter setting (29.61 inches of mercury) provided by the Envoy Air pilot, the accident pilot said, "We are really having a tough time trying to get out of this [*mess]." This was the last radio transmission from the pilot.
Radar data showed that during the last 4 minutes of flight, the airplane's flight path was erratic and its ground speed varied. During the last minute of flight, two computed ground speeds were 17 and 42 knots, which were below the airplane's stall speed of 48 knots. The last radar contact was about 1259.
An alert notice was issued by ZAB, and the wreckage was located about 1330 the following afternoon. The accident site was at an elevation of 7,634 ft., about 23 nautical miles east of KAEG, and 464 ft west of the last radar contact.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument ratings, and a second class airman medical certificate with no restriction or limitations. He also held a mechanic's certificate with airplane and powerplants ratings and an inspector authorization. The pilot was a former U.S. Marine Corps aviation mechanic.
A review of the pilot's logbook revealed entries from October 8, 2008, to September 28, 2015. According to the logbook, the pilot had logged the following flight hours:
Total Time: 700.1
Pilot-in-Command: 648.8
Dual Instruction: 60.5
Cessna 182G: 33.3
Airplane Single Engine Land: 498.3
Airplane Multiengine Land: 205.2
Cross-country: 577.4
Night: 95.6
Actual Instruments: 45.0
Simulated Instruments: 75.6
Instrument Approaches: 79
The pilot had logged only one biennial flight review, which occurred on February 16, 2011. Between May 13, 2015, and the day of the accident, in addition to 45 hours of flight in actual instrument conditions, the pilot had logged 11 instrument approaches.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane, serial number 182-55540, was manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company (now Textron Aviation) in 1964. It was equipped with a 275-horsepower Continental/P. Ponk O-470-50 engine, driving a 3-blade, all metal, constant speed Hartzell PHC-G3YF-1RF propeller.
According to the bill of sale, the airplane was purchased by Moore Aviation on August 1, 2013. Aircraft maintenance records revealed that the last annual inspection was completed on June 19, 2015, at a tachometer and airframe total time of 4,926.76 hours. On that date, the engine, which had accrued 3,145 total hours, was overhauled and converted from a Continental IO-520-E to a Continental/P. Ponk O-470-50. At the accident site, the tachometer read 4,969.98 hours. The last pitot-static system, altimeter, and transponder-encoder checks were conducted on September 6, 2012, at a tachometer reading of 4,870.13 hours.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The following Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was recorded at KABQ at 1252:
Wind, 290° at 21 knots, gusts to 27 knots; visibility, 10 miles; sky condition, few clouds at 500 ft, 4,100 ft broken, 11,000 ft overcast; temperature, 4° C.; dew point, -1° C.; altimeter setting, 29.62 inches of mercury; remarks: site is automated and has a precipitation sensor, peak wind 260° at 36 knots at 1200, rain ended at 1223, sea level pressure 1010 millibars, mountains obscured northeast through southeast.
The following METAR was recorded at KAEG at 1235:
Wind, 260° at 20 knots, gusts to 32 knots; visibility, 2-1/2 miles, snow; sky condition, few clouds at 1,500 ft, 4,200 ft scattered, 5,000 ft broken; temperature, 3° C.; dew point, -2° C.; altimeter setting, 29.61 inches of mercury.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-15 visible and infrared imagery from 1300 was reviewed. The GOES-15 visible imagery identified cloudy conditions over the accident location, and the infrared cloud-top temperatures were about -39°C over the accident site, which corresponded to a cloud-top height of about 28,000 ft. The cloud-top temperatures varied in the region, with some satellite-derived temperatures reaching 0°C, suggesting cloud top heights from near ground level to 28,000 ft (or possibly below higher tops of terrain in the Albuquerque region).
A regional weather radar composite reflectivity mosaic at 1300 showed a wide area of light precipitation over the accident region. Overlaying the airplane's flight path on a weather radar image from 1259:22 showed that the airplane began to deviate from its west course as it approached the area of precipitation.
The rear seat passenger took cell phone photos while en route, and sent them to friends in Wichita Falls before the accident. Two of those photos were obtained from KOB-TV, Albuquerque. It could not be determined where the airplane was when the photographs were taken. The first photo showed the airplane flying in VFR conditions but there were clouds in the distance. The second photo showed the airplane flying over a solid overcast.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The on-scene wreckage examination was conducted on November 17, 2015. The airplane had impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain intact. Ground scars and damage to the airplane were consistent with an acute nose-down (about 90°) impact attitude, and the airplane came to rest in a near vertical attitude. The top of a nearby tree was severed, and branches were scattered around on the ground. Between the rear cabin and the empennage, the fuselage was buckled forward about 30°. All major airplane components were located and identified. Flight control continuity was established. Both the left and right wing leading edges displayed accordion-type crush damage. The fuel selector faceplate indicated that the right main tank had been selected. Due to the position of the airplane and the snow, the engine was not examined on site.
Examination of the flight instruments revealed the following:
Altimeter: 1,980 ft
Kollsman window: 29.90 inches of mercury
Tachometer: 850 rpm
Recorder: 4,969.98 hours
Directional gyro: 074°
Clock: 1023
Examination of the lower left switch panel revealed the following:
Master switch: On
Ignition switch: Left magneto
Standby vacuum: Off
Pitot heat: Off
Navigation lights: Off
Rotating beacon: On
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Office of the Medical Examiner, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, in Albuquerque performed an autopsy on the pilot. According to the autopsy report, the pilot's cause of death was blunt trauma. No significant natural disease was identified by autopsy.
The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicology tests on samples from the pilot. According to the toxicology report, no carbon monoxide was detected in cavity blood, and no ethanol was detected in vitreous. Cyanide testing was not performed. An unknown quantity of sertraline was detected in the liver, and 0.326 (ug ml, ug/g) sertraline was detected in heart blood. Desmethylsertraline was detected in the liver and heart blood. According to FAA's forensic toxicology drug web page, sertraline (Zoloft®) is a prescription antidepressant used for a variety of conditions including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Sertraline is not generally considered to be impairing, although it carries a warning about performance. Desmethylsertraline is the predominant active metabolite of sertraline. and is substantially less active than sertraline. It was learned that the Veterans Administration Hospital in Wichita Falls had prescribed the drug to the pilot for the treatment of his depression.
NTSB's medical officer reviewed the pilot's medical file. According to her report, "The 35 year old male pilot had reported no medical problems and no medications to the FAA. According to the autopsy performed by the University of New Mexico, Office of the Medical Investigator, the cause of death was blunt trauma and the manner of death was accident. No significant natural disease was identified by autopsy. The pilot's personal records revealed a history of cervical spine surgery and major depression treated with sertraline around the time of the accident. Toxicology testing identified sertraline and its metabolite desmethylsertraline in liver and heart blood. The level of sertraline in the heart blood was 0.326 ug/ml. Sertraline is not generally considered to be impairing, although it carries a warning about performance. A few months before the accident, the pilot's health care provider felt his depression was well controlled."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
According to FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," tests conducted with qualified instrument pilots indicated that it can take as long as 35 seconds to establish full control by instruments after a loss of visual reference of the earth's surface. AC 60-4A further states that surface references and the natural horizon may become obscured even though visibility may be above visual flight rules minimums and that an inability to perceive the natural horizon or surface references is common during flights over water, at night, in sparsely populated areas, and in low-visibility conditions.
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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 November 16, 2015, at 1300 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182G, N2440R, impacted wooded mountainous terrain about 23 miles east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Moore Aviation, LLC, Wichita Falls, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site at time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross country flight originated from Wichita Falls (KCWC), Texas, at 0937 central standard time, and was en route to Albuquerque (KAEG), New Mexico.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents, the pilot contacted AEG tower and reported he was descending out of 13,000 feet in between cloud layers and was about 5 miles east of AEG. The local controller instructed the pilot to contact Albuquerque (ABQ) tower. The pilot contacted ABQ tower and requested an ILS approach to AEG. A discrete transponder code was issued, and radar and radio communications were lost shortly thereafter. An Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued, and the wreckage was located the following day.
The on-scene investigation revealed the airplane impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain intact in an acute nose-down (about 90 degrees) attitude. All components were located and identified. The engine and propeller could not be examined on site. Flight control continuity was established. The Kollsman window was set at 29.90 inches of mercury. The altimeter indication was unreliable.
Visitation hours have been announced for Brian L. Moore, a pilot based in Wichita Falls, who crashed his plane in New Mexico just outside of Albuquerque. Investigators said the plane was headed from Wichita Falls to Las Vegas on Monday, November 16, when it lost contact with Air Traffic Control and was found crashed a day later the Cibola National Forest.
His viewing will be held tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Morrison Funeral Home in Graham.
Two passengers also died in the crash, Tim and Sherry Couch.
Tim Couch’s visitation will be also be held tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Hampton Vaughn Funeral Home.
Both Couch and Moore’s funerals will be held on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Moore’s at the Eastside Church of Christ in Graham, while Couch’s funeral will be held at the chapel of the Hampton Vaughn Funeral Home in Archer City.
Funeral of Sherry Couch will be held at the First Baptist Church in Davenport, Oklahoma on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow at the Stroud Cemetery under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service in Stroud.
The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the crash.
New Mexico State Police say the wreckage of a plane that went missing Monday afternoon was found Tuesday near the Sandia Peak Ski Area and that search and rescue crews found three people dead inside.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday night it lost contact with the Cessna 182G Skylane – registered to Moore Aviation LLC out of Wichita Falls, Texas – sometime between 12:30 and 1 p.m. Monday.
State police say three passengers from north Texas were on board the plane, which was headed from Wichita Falls to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Family members identified the three on board the plane as Brian Moore, who owns the plane, and Tim and Sherry Couch - all of Wichita Falls. The family members confirmed state police found all three dead inside the plane Tuesday. The Couch family owns TC Turbine in Wichita Falls, which sells turbine parts.
The family member said the three were en route to an aviation convention in Las Vegas.
At 12:37 p.m. Monday, Sherry sent a photo to her nephew, Nathan Shields. It was part of the last message his aunt would ever send.
"She was saying that there were storms in the area and there were high winds and then we didn't hear anything at all,” said Shields. "I know people say that this person was such a good person but these were, they were good. Very good,” he said.
Rescue crews were out all night Monday into Tuesday trying to find the plane.
“It's been a difficult mission because of the weather - just very extreme conditions. There's approximately 6-12 inches of snow in that area and [it's] very steep,” NMSP spokeswoman Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo said.
Sherry snapped a photo of Moore and her husband in the cockpit before the plane went down.
"We just got back from vacation in Florida. There was 21 of us that went, and we’re just going to miss them," said Shields.
Sgt. Armijo said the investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board as well as the Federal Aviation Administration will be to look at the wreckage site and try to figure out what caused the plane to go down.
Story, comments, video and photo gallery: http://www.kob.com
Brian Moore talks about how cloud seeding equipment is mounted on a Piper Cheyenne II aircraft used in weather modification research and cloud seeding in this file photo.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —The search for a missing plane in the Sandia Mountains is over, but the effort to figure out what went wrong is just beginning.
New Mexico State Police found the wreckage of a small airplane Tuesday afternoon near the Sandia Crest ski area.
Three bodies have been found, and there were no survivors, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the single-engine Cessna took off from Kickapoo Airport in Wichita Falls, Texas, headed to Double Eagle Airport in Albuquerque.
Three people were on board when the FAA lost contact with the plane early Monday afternoon.
The plane was about 20 miles east of Albuquerque. State police say there was no indication the plane was ever in distress.
NMSP search teams, with help from Bernalillo and Sandoval county sheriff's deputies, eventually found the wreckage in very rugged terrain.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
This type of investigation can take more than a year to complete, according to the FAA.
- Source: http://www.koat.com
A United States Air Force helicopter assisted with the search for a missing plane Tuesday morning.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Family of Sherry and Tim Couch have identified the couple as two of the three passengers killed in a plane that crashed in the East Mountains Monday afternoon.
“We don’t know what happened,” said Diane McMillan, Sherry’s cousin. “My cousins went there and identified Sherry and her husband.”
McMillan said family members traveled to Albuquerque as soon as they heard about the crash.
The plane, a Cessna 182G Skylane, was last heard from east north east of Albuquerque a little after 1 p.m., Monday, according to Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane is registered to Moore Aviation LLC in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The single engine plane was flying from Wichita Falls, Texas to Las Vegas, Nev. when it lost contact with radar around 12:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo, a police spokeswoman. There were three passengers on board from north Texas, she said.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search Monday night before turning over the investigation to state police. They focused on the area near the Sandoval County line, north of the Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, Williamson said.
State police found the remains of the plane Tuesday morning near the Sandia Crest, Armijo said in a press release.
“Wreckage belonging to a missing Cessna airplane has been located in the area north of Tijeras, N.M., near the Sandia Crest Ski Area,” Armijo said. “The mission is slow and tedious due to inclement weather conditions and rugged terrain.”
Three Wichita Falls people were killed when their plane crashed in a snowstorm near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The New Mexico State Police confirmed the fatalities Tuesday afternoon.
Albuquerque television station KOB identified those killed as Brian Moore, who operated an aviation service, Moore Aviation, at Kickapoo Airport, and Tim and Sherry Couch.
The plane that went missing Monday afternoon was found Tuesday near the Sandia Crest Ski Area. Bad weather delayed rescuers in getting to the scene after the wreckage was spotted.
Its last known position was 14.3 miles east northeast of Albuquerque just after 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
The plane was a Cessna 182, a single-engine craft capable of carrying four people.
Gary Walker of SOAR cloud seeding operations used Moore's company for maintenance on planes during cloud seeding here during the recent drought.
Walker said the plane was carrying passengers to Las Vegas, New Mexico where they were to look at other airplanes. Walker said the downed plane was not one of the aircraft used in the cloud seeding project here.
KOB reports the Couches were owners of TC Turbine in Wichita Falls, a seller of turbine engines and parts.
The search for the plane began Monday afternoon and continued into the night, but had to be called off because of a snow storm and strong winds.
Source: http://www.timesrecordnews.com
September 04, 2014: Moore Aviation builds unique flare rack, goes global; Equipment built, delivered for Malaysia
Support for cloud seeding operations by Moore Aviation has gone global.
The Kickapoo Airport-based aviation company recently researched, designed and developed the first cloud-seeding flare rack to be mounted on the lift strut of a Cessna Caravan, said Brian Moore, owner of the company. Lift struts provide wing support by connecting the fuselage and the bottom of the wing.
"This was a request for (something) that's never been done," he said. "So it's the first one in the world. No one's ever done this."
Moore said he received a text message as he was going into church on Aug. 3 from Gary Walker with Seeding Operations and Atmospheric Research, the company conducting cloud-seeding missions for Wichita Falls. The text message said the Malaysian government called and wanted seeding equipment for their aircraft manufactured and delivered by Aug. 8.
Later that day, Walker called him and told him the Malaysians wanted them to build flare racks for the Caravan and a Cessna 172. The challenge, he said, was the Malaysians wanted to hang them on the lift struts instead of drilling holes in the aircraft to attach them.
Cessna Caravans are difficult to find in the area, he said, but he was able to contact a woman in Enid, Oklahoma, who had cut outs of struts used on the aircraft. She traced the shape on a piece of paper, scanned it and sent it to Moore. Wooden forms were made by his father, Dan, to replicate the lift struts for construction of the racks.
"I really wouldn't have been able to pull that job off in that time frame without him," Moore said.
He didn't make the Aug. 8 deadline, he said, but 16-hour days and hard work made it to where he was on an airplane headed for Malaysia on Aug. 11. As you could imagine, there was a mix-up at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the flare racks sat at the airport for two days before being loaded on an aircraft headed to Malaysia.
Moore said once the racks arrived, he was given permission to begin installation of the racks on the Caravan. Because of the quick turnaround and not having an actual Caravan to test the racks, he wasn't sure how things would go once he started the installation.
"Nothing ever goes right on a road job ? ever," he said. "These things fit like a dream. Just perfect."
While the racks fit perfectly, there was a small international incident on Aug. 18 when workers in the maintenance shop arrived for work that Monday morning. Moore said he was given clearance by the contractor to put the racks on, and he needed to get back to Wichita Falls to begin work on the second set of racks for the Cessna 172.
What he didn't know was the maintenance shop wanted to see every step of the installation process because they had some concerns.
"It's going to be all right. This is what we do," he said he told them. "We specialize in this equipment."
Moore said they inspected the aircraft and his work, and eventually approved it.
The 52-inch-long flare racks can hold up to 20 flares each.
- Source: http://www.timesrecordnews.com
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/26/2017
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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 instrument rated pilot did not receive a weather briefing nor file a flight plan prior to departing on a VFR cross-country flight. Radar data showed that the airplane proceeded west on course after departure. As the airplane neared a north/south-oriented mountain range, it deviated from the direct course to the destination, turning to the southwest and then to the north. Overlaying the airplane's flight path on a weather radar image showed that the airplane began the deviation as it approached an area of precipitation. Additionally, photographs taken by a passenger during the flight indicated that the airplane was flying above a solid overcast. As the airplane flew north parallel to the eastern slope of the mountain range, the pilot contacted the destination airport's air traffic control tower and reported that he was descending out of 13,000 ft, that he was between cloud layers, and that he wanted to perform an instrument landing system approach to the airport . He reported being 5 miles east of the airport; however, radar data indicated that the airplane was about 25 miles east and on the other side of the mountain range from the destination airport. The pilot then said the situation was "pretty hairy . . . I can see the ground . . . I'm just trying to maintain visibility right now," and, a few minutes later, "we are really having a tough time trying to get out of this [*mess]." Radio contact was lost shortly thereafter. Radar data indicated an erratic flight path and a varying groundspeed during the last 4 minutes of the flight. Radar contact was lost, and the airplane impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain in a near vertical attitude. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
In addition to the precipitation indicated by the weather radar imagery, satellite imagery showed cloud cover over the accident area with tops about 28,000 ft. The weather imagery, the pilot's statements, the erratic flight path, and the airplane's impact attitude are consistent with the airplane entering instrument meteorological conditions and the pilot developing spatial disorientation and losing control.
Toxicological testing revealed 0.326 (ug.mL, ug/g) sertraline, a prescription antidepressant, in the pilot's heart blood and desmethylsertraline, a metabolite of sertraline, in the pilot's liver and heart blood. The pilot's medical records indicated that he was being treated for depression with sertraline, and, several months before the accident, the pilot's health care provider noted that the pilot's depression was well controlled.. Therefore, it is unlikely that effects from the pilot's depression or use of sertraline contributed to the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of control.
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Continental Motors; Mobile, Alabama
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Moore Aviation LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N2440R
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On November 16, 2015, at 1259 mountain standard time (mst), a Cessna 182G, N2440R, impacted wooded mountainous terrain in Sandia Park, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Moore Aviation, LLC, Wichita Falls, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Kickapoo Airport (KCWC), Wichita Falls, Texas, at 0937 central standard time, and was en route to Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG), Albuquerque
There was no record that the pilot received a weather briefing before his departure from KCWC. Radar data showed that the airplane proceeded on course after departing KCWC. The radar data indicated that the airplane's transponder was set on mode A instead of mode C, and no altitude information was transmitted. Ground speeds during the en route portion of the flight were consistent with normal cruise speeds. As the airplane neared the Sandia Mountains, a north/south-oriented mountain range, it deviated from the direct course to its destination, turning to the southwest and then to the north.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) transcripts, at 1252:01, as the airplane flew north parallel to the eastern edge of the mountain range, the pilot contacted KAEG air traffic control tower (ATCT) and reported that he was "descending out of 13,000 feet, trying to get over weather but we couldn't get high enough to make it work," and that he was "kind of in between layers." The pilot said that he wanted to "shoot the I-L-S (instrument landing system)" and that he was "east, probably less than 5 miles" from KAEG. The pilot was given the KAEG localizer frequency and told to contact Albuquerque (KABQ) ATCT for a "short range I-F-R (instrument flight rules) clearance."
The pilot contacted KABQ ATCT at 1252:45 mst and reported that he was 5 miles east of KAEG and wanted "to shoot the I-L-S [because] we got caught up in some weather unintentionally." The controller assigned the airplane a beacon code but was unable to locate the airplane on radar.
KABQ ATCT coordinated with KABQ air route traffic control center (ZAB) in an attempt to locate the airplane. ZAB reported that they had received radar returns from the airplane, but that the airplane was on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, 25 miles east of KAEG. The minimum en route altitude in that area was 11,500 feet.
At 1254:24, the pilot said it was getting "pretty hairy. . .I can see the ground . . . I'm just trying to maintain visibility right now." Communications with the pilot intermittent, and ZAB requested an overflying air carrier, Envoy Air flight 3058, to relay messages, At 1257:35, in response to receiving the KABQ altimeter setting (29.61 inches of mercury) provided by the Envoy Air pilot, the accident pilot said, "We are really having a tough time trying to get out of this [*mess]." This was the last radio transmission from the pilot.
Radar data showed that during the last 4 minutes of flight, the airplane's flight path was erratic and its ground speed varied. During the last minute of flight, two computed ground speeds were 17 and 42 knots, which were below the airplane's stall speed of 48 knots. The last radar contact was about 1259.
An alert notice was issued by ZAB, and the wreckage was located about 1330 the following afternoon. The accident site was at an elevation of 7,634 ft., about 23 nautical miles east of KAEG, and 464 ft west of the last radar contact.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument ratings, and a second class airman medical certificate with no restriction or limitations. He also held a mechanic's certificate with airplane and powerplants ratings and an inspector authorization. The pilot was a former U.S. Marine Corps aviation mechanic.
A review of the pilot's logbook revealed entries from October 8, 2008, to September 28, 2015. According to the logbook, the pilot had logged the following flight hours:
Total Time: 700.1
Pilot-in-Command: 648.8
Dual Instruction: 60.5
Cessna 182G: 33.3
Airplane Single Engine Land: 498.3
Airplane Multiengine Land: 205.2
Cross-country: 577.4
Night: 95.6
Actual Instruments: 45.0
Simulated Instruments: 75.6
Instrument Approaches: 79
The pilot had logged only one biennial flight review, which occurred on February 16, 2011. Between May 13, 2015, and the day of the accident, in addition to 45 hours of flight in actual instrument conditions, the pilot had logged 11 instrument approaches.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane, serial number 182-55540, was manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company (now Textron Aviation) in 1964. It was equipped with a 275-horsepower Continental/P. Ponk O-470-50 engine, driving a 3-blade, all metal, constant speed Hartzell PHC-G3YF-1RF propeller.
According to the bill of sale, the airplane was purchased by Moore Aviation on August 1, 2013. Aircraft maintenance records revealed that the last annual inspection was completed on June 19, 2015, at a tachometer and airframe total time of 4,926.76 hours. On that date, the engine, which had accrued 3,145 total hours, was overhauled and converted from a Continental IO-520-E to a Continental/P. Ponk O-470-50. At the accident site, the tachometer read 4,969.98 hours. The last pitot-static system, altimeter, and transponder-encoder checks were conducted on September 6, 2012, at a tachometer reading of 4,870.13 hours.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
The following Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was recorded at KABQ at 1252:
Wind, 290° at 21 knots, gusts to 27 knots; visibility, 10 miles; sky condition, few clouds at 500 ft, 4,100 ft broken, 11,000 ft overcast; temperature, 4° C.; dew point, -1° C.; altimeter setting, 29.62 inches of mercury; remarks: site is automated and has a precipitation sensor, peak wind 260° at 36 knots at 1200, rain ended at 1223, sea level pressure 1010 millibars, mountains obscured northeast through southeast.
The following METAR was recorded at KAEG at 1235:
Wind, 260° at 20 knots, gusts to 32 knots; visibility, 2-1/2 miles, snow; sky condition, few clouds at 1,500 ft, 4,200 ft scattered, 5,000 ft broken; temperature, 3° C.; dew point, -2° C.; altimeter setting, 29.61 inches of mercury.
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-15 visible and infrared imagery from 1300 was reviewed. The GOES-15 visible imagery identified cloudy conditions over the accident location, and the infrared cloud-top temperatures were about -39°C over the accident site, which corresponded to a cloud-top height of about 28,000 ft. The cloud-top temperatures varied in the region, with some satellite-derived temperatures reaching 0°C, suggesting cloud top heights from near ground level to 28,000 ft (or possibly below higher tops of terrain in the Albuquerque region).
A regional weather radar composite reflectivity mosaic at 1300 showed a wide area of light precipitation over the accident region. Overlaying the airplane's flight path on a weather radar image from 1259:22 showed that the airplane began to deviate from its west course as it approached the area of precipitation.
The rear seat passenger took cell phone photos while en route, and sent them to friends in Wichita Falls before the accident. Two of those photos were obtained from KOB-TV, Albuquerque. It could not be determined where the airplane was when the photographs were taken. The first photo showed the airplane flying in VFR conditions but there were clouds in the distance. The second photo showed the airplane flying over a solid overcast.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The on-scene wreckage examination was conducted on November 17, 2015. The airplane had impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain intact. Ground scars and damage to the airplane were consistent with an acute nose-down (about 90°) impact attitude, and the airplane came to rest in a near vertical attitude. The top of a nearby tree was severed, and branches were scattered around on the ground. Between the rear cabin and the empennage, the fuselage was buckled forward about 30°. All major airplane components were located and identified. Flight control continuity was established. Both the left and right wing leading edges displayed accordion-type crush damage. The fuel selector faceplate indicated that the right main tank had been selected. Due to the position of the airplane and the snow, the engine was not examined on site.
Examination of the flight instruments revealed the following:
Altimeter: 1,980 ft
Kollsman window: 29.90 inches of mercury
Tachometer: 850 rpm
Recorder: 4,969.98 hours
Directional gyro: 074°
Clock: 1023
Examination of the lower left switch panel revealed the following:
Master switch: On
Ignition switch: Left magneto
Standby vacuum: Off
Pitot heat: Off
Navigation lights: Off
Rotating beacon: On
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Office of the Medical Examiner, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, in Albuquerque performed an autopsy on the pilot. According to the autopsy report, the pilot's cause of death was blunt trauma. No significant natural disease was identified by autopsy.
The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicology tests on samples from the pilot. According to the toxicology report, no carbon monoxide was detected in cavity blood, and no ethanol was detected in vitreous. Cyanide testing was not performed. An unknown quantity of sertraline was detected in the liver, and 0.326 (ug ml, ug/g) sertraline was detected in heart blood. Desmethylsertraline was detected in the liver and heart blood. According to FAA's forensic toxicology drug web page, sertraline (Zoloft®) is a prescription antidepressant used for a variety of conditions including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Sertraline is not generally considered to be impairing, although it carries a warning about performance. Desmethylsertraline is the predominant active metabolite of sertraline. and is substantially less active than sertraline. It was learned that the Veterans Administration Hospital in Wichita Falls had prescribed the drug to the pilot for the treatment of his depression.
NTSB's medical officer reviewed the pilot's medical file. According to her report, "The 35 year old male pilot had reported no medical problems and no medications to the FAA. According to the autopsy performed by the University of New Mexico, Office of the Medical Investigator, the cause of death was blunt trauma and the manner of death was accident. No significant natural disease was identified by autopsy. The pilot's personal records revealed a history of cervical spine surgery and major depression treated with sertraline around the time of the accident. Toxicology testing identified sertraline and its metabolite desmethylsertraline in liver and heart blood. The level of sertraline in the heart blood was 0.326 ug/ml. Sertraline is not generally considered to be impairing, although it carries a warning about performance. A few months before the accident, the pilot's health care provider felt his depression was well controlled."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
According to FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-4A, "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation," tests conducted with qualified instrument pilots indicated that it can take as long as 35 seconds to establish full control by instruments after a loss of visual reference of the earth's surface. AC 60-4A further states that surface references and the natural horizon may become obscured even though visibility may be above visual flight rules minimums and that an inability to perceive the natural horizon or surface references is common during flights over water, at night, in sparsely populated areas, and in low-visibility conditions.
NTSB Identification: CEN16FA042
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 16, 2015 in Sandia Park, NM
Aircraft: Cessna 182G, registration: N2440R
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
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 November 16, 2015, at 1300 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182G, N2440R, impacted wooded mountainous terrain about 23 miles east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Moore Aviation, LLC, Wichita Falls, Texas, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site at time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross country flight originated from Wichita Falls (KCWC), Texas, at 0937 central standard time, and was en route to Albuquerque (KAEG), New Mexico.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documents, the pilot contacted AEG tower and reported he was descending out of 13,000 feet in between cloud layers and was about 5 miles east of AEG. The local controller instructed the pilot to contact Albuquerque (ABQ) tower. The pilot contacted ABQ tower and requested an ILS approach to AEG. A discrete transponder code was issued, and radar and radio communications were lost shortly thereafter. An Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued, and the wreckage was located the following day.
The on-scene investigation revealed the airplane impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain intact in an acute nose-down (about 90 degrees) attitude. All components were located and identified. The engine and propeller could not be examined on site. Flight control continuity was established. The Kollsman window was set at 29.90 inches of mercury. The altimeter indication was unreliable.
His viewing will be held tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Morrison Funeral Home in Graham.
Two passengers also died in the crash, Tim and Sherry Couch.
Tim Couch’s visitation will be also be held tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Hampton Vaughn Funeral Home.
Both Couch and Moore’s funerals will be held on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Moore’s at the Eastside Church of Christ in Graham, while Couch’s funeral will be held at the chapel of the Hampton Vaughn Funeral Home in Archer City.
Funeral of Sherry Couch will be held at the First Baptist Church in Davenport, Oklahoma on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Burial will follow at the Stroud Cemetery under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service in Stroud.
The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the crash.
New Mexico State Police say the wreckage of a plane that went missing Monday afternoon was found Tuesday near the Sandia Peak Ski Area and that search and rescue crews found three people dead inside.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday night it lost contact with the Cessna 182G Skylane – registered to Moore Aviation LLC out of Wichita Falls, Texas – sometime between 12:30 and 1 p.m. Monday.
State police say three passengers from north Texas were on board the plane, which was headed from Wichita Falls to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Family members identified the three on board the plane as Brian Moore, who owns the plane, and Tim and Sherry Couch - all of Wichita Falls. The family members confirmed state police found all three dead inside the plane Tuesday. The Couch family owns TC Turbine in Wichita Falls, which sells turbine parts.
The family member said the three were en route to an aviation convention in Las Vegas.
At 12:37 p.m. Monday, Sherry sent a photo to her nephew, Nathan Shields. It was part of the last message his aunt would ever send.
"She was saying that there were storms in the area and there were high winds and then we didn't hear anything at all,” said Shields. "I know people say that this person was such a good person but these were, they were good. Very good,” he said.
Rescue crews were out all night Monday into Tuesday trying to find the plane.
“It's been a difficult mission because of the weather - just very extreme conditions. There's approximately 6-12 inches of snow in that area and [it's] very steep,” NMSP spokeswoman Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo said.
Sherry snapped a photo of Moore and her husband in the cockpit before the plane went down.
"We just got back from vacation in Florida. There was 21 of us that went, and we’re just going to miss them," said Shields.
Sgt. Armijo said the investigators from the National Transportation and Safety Board as well as the Federal Aviation Administration will be to look at the wreckage site and try to figure out what caused the plane to go down.
Story, comments, video and photo gallery: http://www.kob.com
Tim and Sherry Couch
Brian Moore talks about how cloud seeding equipment is mounted on a Piper Cheyenne II aircraft used in weather modification research and cloud seeding in this file photo.
Tim and Sherry Couch
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —The search for a missing plane in the Sandia Mountains is over, but the effort to figure out what went wrong is just beginning.
New Mexico State Police found the wreckage of a small airplane Tuesday afternoon near the Sandia Crest ski area.
Three bodies have been found, and there were no survivors, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the single-engine Cessna took off from Kickapoo Airport in Wichita Falls, Texas, headed to Double Eagle Airport in Albuquerque.
Three people were on board when the FAA lost contact with the plane early Monday afternoon.
The plane was about 20 miles east of Albuquerque. State police say there was no indication the plane was ever in distress.
NMSP search teams, with help from Bernalillo and Sandoval county sheriff's deputies, eventually found the wreckage in very rugged terrain.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
This type of investigation can take more than a year to complete, according to the FAA.
- Source: http://www.koat.com
A United States Air Force helicopter assisted with the search for a missing plane Tuesday morning.“We don’t know what happened,” said Diane McMillan, Sherry’s cousin. “My cousins went there and identified Sherry and her husband.”
McMillan said family members traveled to Albuquerque as soon as they heard about the crash.
The plane, a Cessna 182G Skylane, was last heard from east north east of Albuquerque a little after 1 p.m., Monday, according to Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane is registered to Moore Aviation LLC in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The single engine plane was flying from Wichita Falls, Texas to Las Vegas, Nev. when it lost contact with radar around 12:30 p.m., according to Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo, a police spokeswoman. There were three passengers on board from north Texas, she said.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search Monday night before turning over the investigation to state police. They focused on the area near the Sandoval County line, north of the Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, Williamson said.
State police found the remains of the plane Tuesday morning near the Sandia Crest, Armijo said in a press release.
“Wreckage belonging to a missing Cessna airplane has been located in the area north of Tijeras, N.M., near the Sandia Crest Ski Area,” Armijo said. “The mission is slow and tedious due to inclement weather conditions and rugged terrain.”
— Source: http://www.abqjournal.com
Three Wichita Falls people were killed when their plane crashed in a snowstorm near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The New Mexico State Police confirmed the fatalities Tuesday afternoon.
Albuquerque television station KOB identified those killed as Brian Moore, who operated an aviation service, Moore Aviation, at Kickapoo Airport, and Tim and Sherry Couch.
The plane that went missing Monday afternoon was found Tuesday near the Sandia Crest Ski Area. Bad weather delayed rescuers in getting to the scene after the wreckage was spotted.
Its last known position was 14.3 miles east northeast of Albuquerque just after 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
The plane was a Cessna 182, a single-engine craft capable of carrying four people.
Gary Walker of SOAR cloud seeding operations used Moore's company for maintenance on planes during cloud seeding here during the recent drought.
Walker said the plane was carrying passengers to Las Vegas, New Mexico where they were to look at other airplanes. Walker said the downed plane was not one of the aircraft used in the cloud seeding project here.
KOB reports the Couches were owners of TC Turbine in Wichita Falls, a seller of turbine engines and parts.
The search for the plane began Monday afternoon and continued into the night, but had to be called off because of a snow storm and strong winds.
Source: http://www.timesrecordnews.com
Brian Moore of Moore Aviation, left, demonstrates a salt-based flare Friday at Kickapoo Airport in Wichita Falls, Texas on Feb. 21, 2014. The flares are used in some applications of cloud seeding weather modification. Moore's company manufactures and installs equipment for cloud seeding flares.
A specially designed and custom-built cloud seeding flare rack is mounted on a Cessna Caravan flown by a contractor for the Malaysian government for weather modification operations in the Southeast Asia country. Brian Moore, owner of Moore Aviation in Wichita Falls, and Gary Walker with Seeding Operations and Atmospheric Research, were contacted by the country to have them build the one-of-a-kind flare rack.
The one-of-a-kind flare rack was specially build by Moore Aviation in Wichita Falls specifically for the lift strut of a Cessna Caravan used in cloud-seeding operations in Malaysia. Brian Moore, owner of the company, began work on the rack Aug. 4 and hand-delivered and mounted it on the Malaysian aircraft the following week.
Two cloud-seeding flare racks dry in the Texas sun at Kickapoo Airport in early August. Brian Moore and his crew built the one-of-a-kind racks for a Cessna Caravan that is used in Malaysia for cloud-seeding operations.
This specially made cloud seeding rack was built by Moore Aviation in Wichita Falls to be mounted on a Cessna Caravan used by the Malaysian government for cloud-seeding operations. It took Brian Moore and his crew about a week to research, design and manufacture the rack in their shop at Kickapoo Airport.
Support for cloud seeding operations by Moore Aviation has gone global.
The Kickapoo Airport-based aviation company recently researched, designed and developed the first cloud-seeding flare rack to be mounted on the lift strut of a Cessna Caravan, said Brian Moore, owner of the company. Lift struts provide wing support by connecting the fuselage and the bottom of the wing.
"This was a request for (something) that's never been done," he said. "So it's the first one in the world. No one's ever done this."
Moore said he received a text message as he was going into church on Aug. 3 from Gary Walker with Seeding Operations and Atmospheric Research, the company conducting cloud-seeding missions for Wichita Falls. The text message said the Malaysian government called and wanted seeding equipment for their aircraft manufactured and delivered by Aug. 8.
Later that day, Walker called him and told him the Malaysians wanted them to build flare racks for the Caravan and a Cessna 172. The challenge, he said, was the Malaysians wanted to hang them on the lift struts instead of drilling holes in the aircraft to attach them.
Cessna Caravans are difficult to find in the area, he said, but he was able to contact a woman in Enid, Oklahoma, who had cut outs of struts used on the aircraft. She traced the shape on a piece of paper, scanned it and sent it to Moore. Wooden forms were made by his father, Dan, to replicate the lift struts for construction of the racks.
"I really wouldn't have been able to pull that job off in that time frame without him," Moore said.
He didn't make the Aug. 8 deadline, he said, but 16-hour days and hard work made it to where he was on an airplane headed for Malaysia on Aug. 11. As you could imagine, there was a mix-up at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the flare racks sat at the airport for two days before being loaded on an aircraft headed to Malaysia.
Moore said once the racks arrived, he was given permission to begin installation of the racks on the Caravan. Because of the quick turnaround and not having an actual Caravan to test the racks, he wasn't sure how things would go once he started the installation.
"Nothing ever goes right on a road job ? ever," he said. "These things fit like a dream. Just perfect."
While the racks fit perfectly, there was a small international incident on Aug. 18 when workers in the maintenance shop arrived for work that Monday morning. Moore said he was given clearance by the contractor to put the racks on, and he needed to get back to Wichita Falls to begin work on the second set of racks for the Cessna 172.
What he didn't know was the maintenance shop wanted to see every step of the installation process because they had some concerns.
"It's going to be all right. This is what we do," he said he told them. "We specialize in this equipment."
Moore said they inspected the aircraft and his work, and eventually approved it.
The 52-inch-long flare racks can hold up to 20 flares each.
- Source: http://www.timesrecordnews.com
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