Thursday, June 09, 2016

Loss of Control in Flight: Cirrus SR20, N4252G, fatal accident occurred June 09, 2016 near Hobby Airport (KHOU), Houston, Texas

Dana F. Gray

Dana and Tony Gray



Tony and Dana Gray, Jerry Gray



Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

Investigator In Charge (IIC): Aguilera, Jason

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Christopher Cotton; Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Houston, Texas
Continental Motors Inc; Mobile, Alabama
Cirrus Aircraft Corporation; Duluth, Minnesota 
Hartzell Propeller Inc; Piqua, Ohio

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Safe Aviation LLC


Location: Houston, Texas
Accident Number: CEN16FA211
Date and Time: June 9, 2016, 13:09 Local
Registration: N4252G
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 3 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis 

The pilot was attempting to land the airplane at a busy airport with high volume airline traffic. While attempting to sequence the airplane between airplanes, the air traffic controller issued numerous instructions to the pilot, which included changing runways multiple times. The pilot was instructed to go around twice by the local controller; the first time because an air carrier airplane was overtaking the accident airplane and the second time because the airplane was too high to make a safe landing. During the airplane's third approach, a new local controller came on duty. On this approach, the pilot again had difficulty descending fast enough to make a safe landing, and she elected to perform another go-around. The new local controller then issued the pilot a lengthy clearance as the pilot was performing the go-around procedure. Data retrieved from the airplane revealed that, during the go-around, the pilot did not follow the recommended go-around procedure; specifically, the pilot did not attain a speed between 81 to 83 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) before raising the flaps. Rather, the airplane's airspeed was 58 KIAS when the pilot raised the airplane's flaps while in a left turn, which resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The air traffic control instructions given to the pilot during the three approaches were complex and potentially distracting. The initial local controller elected to keep the airplane in the traffic pattern rather than transferring the airplane to an approach controller for resequencing when airline traffic interrupted the pilot's first landing attempt and when the pilot displayed difficulty landing the airplane on her second landing attempt. The complex instructions from the second local controller during the pilot's go-around following her third landing attempt, were unnecessary at that time and likely distracted the pilot from monitoring critical flight parameters.

The pilot was attempting to comply with ATC instructions throughout the flight and the pilot's actions are understandable as the instructions were largely consistent with the pilot's goal to land at the busy airport. However, compliance with ATC instructions greatly increased the pilot's workload as it led to an extended period of close-in maneuvering at a Class B airport due to the larger and faster airplanes converging on the airport. During this extended period of maneuvering the pilot did not assert the responsibilities that accompany being a pilot-in-command and did not offload the workload by either requesting to be re-sequenced, telling the controller to standby, or stating "unable." This allowed for an increased likelihood of operational distractions associated with air traffic communications and affected the pilot's ability to focus on aircraft control. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: 

The pilot's improper go-around procedure that did not ensure that the airplane was at a safe airspeed before raising the flaps, which resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack and resulted in an accelerated aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain. Contributing to the accident were the initial local controller's decision to keep the pilot in the traffic pattern, the second local controller's issuance of an unnecessarily complex clearance during a critical phase of flight. Also contributing was the pilot's lack of assertiveness. 

Findings

Personnel issues Incorrect action performance - Pilot
Aircraft Angle of attack - Capability exceeded
Aircraft Airspeed - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Motivation/respond to pressure - Pilot
Personnel issues Decision making/judgment - ATC personnel
Personnel issues Unnecessary action - ATC personnel

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach-VFR go-around Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

On June 9, 2016, at 1309 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 airplane, N4252G, impacted terrain following a loss of control during a go-around at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston, Texas. The private pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by Safe Aviation, LLC, Moore, Oklahoma, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed. The airplane departed from University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport (OUN), Norman, Oklahoma, about 1000 and was destined for HOU.

As the airplane approached HOU, a high-volume air carrier airport surrounded by Class B airspace, the pilot was given numerous instructions by air traffic controllers to sequence it between several Boeing 737 airplanes. An air traffic control (ATC) group was formed to review the interactions between the controllers and the pilot. The following information was extracted from the ATC group report, which is available in the public docket of this investigation.

1252:47 – The pilot contacted HOU tower, and the local controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 4 and told her to follow a Boeing 737 that was on a 3-mile final approach to runway 4.

1254:39 – The local controller directed the pilot to maintain maximum forward airspeed due to a Boeing 737 on a 9-mile final approach that was trailing the airplane and traveling 80 knots faster.

1256:58 – Due to the trailing Boeing 737, which was overtaking the airplane, the local controller directed the pilot to go around and fly runway heading.

1257:37 – The local controller instructed the pilot to make a right base to runway 35, informed her of another Boeing 737 on a 5-mile final for runway 4, and stated that she would be landing before the Boeing 737.

1258:16 – The local controller told the pilot that he would call her base turn.

1258:48 – The local controller issued a traffic advisory for an additional Boeing 737 inbound to runway 4, and the pilot reported that traffic in sight. The local controller told the pilot to pass behind that traffic and land on runway 35.

1259:20 – The local controller asked the pilot to turn left 30° to resolve a perceived traffic conflict between the airplane and the inbound Boeing 737.

1259:30 – The local controller asked the pilot if she would like to follow the Boeing 737 to runway 4. The pilot responded that she would, and the local controller cleared her to land on runway 4. A few seconds later the local controller told the pilot, "just maneuver back for the straight-in, I don't know which way you're going now, so just turn back around to runway 35."

1300:13 – The local controller asked the pilot which direction she was turning. She responded, "I thought I was turning a right base for 35…" The controller asked her to keep the right turn "tight," and the pilot acknowledged.

1300:31 – The local controller cleared the pilot to perform a straight-in approach to runway 35, and the pilot replied, "straight in to runway 35 and I don't believe I'm lined up for that." According to radar data, at this time, the airplane was about 2 nautical miles south of runway 35. The local controller told the pilot to turn right to a heading of 040° and climb to 1,600 ft.

1301:16 – The airplane was southeast of runway 35, heading 040°, and the local controller told the pilot to make a right turn to land on runway 35. 1302:02 – The local controller prompted the pilot to begin her descent to land on runway 35, and the pilot replied that she was "trying to lose altitude."

1303:25 – The local controller told the pilot that she "might be too high." The pilot replied that she would perform a go-around, and the controller acknowledged and told her to fly a right traffic pattern for runway 35.

1304:38 – The local controller told the pilot that she was cleared to land on runway 35 and that no other traffic was expected inbound.

1306:00 – The local controller advised the pilot of a Boeing 737 on a short final to runway 4 ahead of her, and the pilot acknowledged that she had the airplane in sight.

1307:03 – The local controller provided a wind check and cleared the pilot to land on runway 35, and the pilot replied, "35 cleared to land trying to get down again."
1307:49 – A new local controller took over the position.

1308:21 – The airplane was over runway 35, and the pilot called that she was going around. The new local controller responded with the following 16-second transmission, "OK, Cirrus 52G, just go ahead and make the left turn now to enter the downwind, midfield downwind for runway 4, if you can just keep it in a nice tight low pattern, I'm going to have traffic 4 miles behind you so I need you to just kind of keep it in tight if you could." The pilot responded, "OK, this time will be runway 4, turning left, 4252G." The controller continued with the following 23-second transmission, "And actually I might end up sequencing you behind that traffic, he's on 4 miles a minute, um, it is gonna be a bit tight with the one behind it so when you get on the downwind, stay on the downwind and advise me when you have that 737 in sight. We'll either do 4 or we might swing you around to 35, uh, uh, ma'am, ma'am, uh, straighten up, straighten up!"

Witnesses saw the airplane at a low altitude when it turned to the left and descended. A security camera video showed that the airplane spun to the left and was about 45° nose down in a slightly left-wing-low attitude before impact with terrain. The airplane impacted an unoccupied automobile in a hardware store parking lot about ½-mile north of runway 35. The video showed that the airplane's airframe parachute rocket motor activated during the impact; however, the parachute remained stowed in the empennage and did not deploy.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 46, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 4-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/28/2014
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 05/02/2014
Flight Time:  332.6 hours (Total, all aircraft), 303.6 hours (Total, this make and model), 253 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 28 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 7 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that she received her private pilot certificate on May 2, 2014. According to the logbook, she had landed within Class B airspace at least four times. Her most recent flight in Class B airspace was to Dallas Love Field (DAL), Dallas, Texas, and consisted of a landing on May 30, 2016, and a takeoff on June 3, 2016. There was no evidence that she had flown to HOU before the accident flight.

Interviews with the pilot's flight instructors and review of her logbook did not find evidence that the pilot had completed a flight review in the previous 24 calendar months, as required by 14 CFR 61.56(c). (Title 14 CFR 61.56(c) states that a person may not act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft unless that person has accomplished a satisfactory flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months.) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP
Registration: N4252G
Model/Series: SR20
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 2217
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 5
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 01/16/2016, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3050 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 42 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 429 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT: C126 installed, activated, aided in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: IO-360-ES
Registered Owner: SAFE AVIATION LLC
Rated Power: 200 hp
Operator: SAFE AVIATION LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

The manufacturer's checklist for a balked landing/go-around states that the airplane should be pitched to maintain the best angle of climb, between 81 to 83 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS), before raising the flaps. The manufacturer's published stall speed at 0° bank angle, idle power, and flaps up is 69 KIAS. The stall speed at 0° bank angle, idle power, and flaps full down is between 59-61 KIAS. An excerpt from the pilot's operating handbook concerning stall speeds is located in the public docket of this investigation.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KHOU, 47 ft msl
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 164°
Lowest Cloud Condition:  / 3600 ft agl
Temperature/Dew Point: 32°C / 22°C
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 3600 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 12 knots/ 16 knots, 100°
Visibility (RVR): 
Altimeter Setting: 29.94 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV): 
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: NORMAN, OK (OUN)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Houston, TX (HOU)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time: 1000 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class B

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that, at the accident location, at 1309, the altitude of the sun was about 83° above the horizon, and the azimuth of the sun was about 158°.

Airport Information

Airport: WILLIAM P HOBBY (HOU)
Runway Surface Type: Concrete
Airport Elevation: 46 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 35
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 6000 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Go Around 

HOU has 4 runways: 4/22, 35/17, 13L/31R, and 13R/31L. According to HOU tower personnel, in the period leading up to the accident, HOU was landing runways 4 and 35 and departing runways 4, 12L/R, and 35. Most of the traffic was landing on runway 4 and departing from runway 12R. 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 3 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 29.660000, -95.289444 (est) 

All major airplane components were accounted for at the accident site. The nose of airplane was aligned about 330° magnetic. The propeller was separated just aft of the propeller flange. All three blades remained attached to the hub and displayed curling, chordwise scratches, and leading edge nicks and gouges. The wing remained attached to the fuselage. 

Medical And Pathological Information

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Houston, Texas, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.

The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. Testing was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. The following substances were detected:

Ibuprofen detected in urine
Naproxen detected in urine
Zolpidem detected in heart blood

Ibuprofen and naproxen are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and their use would generally not present a hazard to aviation safety. Zolpidem is a prescription medication used to treat insomnia and may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks, such as driving, flying, and operating heavy machinery. Due to adverse side-effects, the FAA recommends waiting at least 24 hours after use of zolpidem before flying.

On the pilot's most recent medical application, she reported the use of doxycycline and dapsone for acne. The use of zolpidem was not reported.

Tests And Research

The airplane was equipped with a Garmin G1000 Integrated Flight Deck and a Heads Up Technologies recoverable data module (RDM) data recorder. Flight data recorded by these devices were downloaded by the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division in Washington, DC. Review of the data revealed that, at 1308:19, the airplane began to pitch nose up, while at 63 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) and 102.8 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane began climbing at 9-11° nose up, while traveling at 66-74 KIAS with full flaps extended. According to ATC communications, at 1308:21 the pilot reported the go-around and the tower controller begin transmitting a clearance. At 1308:26, the airspeed was 74 KIAS, which was the highest airspeed that the airplane achieved during the climb out, and the airspeed then began to decrease. At 1308:36, the tower controller finished his clearance and began another part of the clearance at 1308:42 and continued transmitting past the last recorded point. At 1308:45, the airplane entered a left turn with the airspeed decreasing through 64 KIAS. At 1308:52, power was reduced from 94% to about 81%, with a corresponding reduction in engine parameters. The flaps were moved from full to half flaps at 1308:56, with the airplane at 13° nose up, 18° of left bank, and 62 KIAS. The flaps were fully retracted (0° flaps) at 1309:02 with the airplane in a 26° left bank and travelling at 58 KIAS. One second later, the airplane was in a 71° left bank, the pitch dropped to 5° nose low, and engine power increased to 90%. No further data were recorded.

Additional Information

FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 61-98C, "Current Requirements and Guidance for the Flight Review and Instrument Proficiency Check," dated November 20, 2015, states, in part, that the intent of a flight review is a routine evaluation of the pilot's ability to conduct a safe flight. The AC further states that, regardless of the pilot's experience, the flight instructor should review at least those maneuvers considered critical to safe flight such as stabilized approaches to landings, slow flight, stall recognition, stalls, stall recovery, and spin recognition and avoidance.

FAA Safety Team AFS-850 16-08, "Fly the Aircraft First," dated August 2016, provides a reminder to pilots to maintain aircraft control at all times. It states, in part, "The top priority – always – is to aviate." It further states, "Rounding out those top priorities are figuring out where you're going (Navigate), and, as appropriate, talking to ATC or someone outside the airplane (Communicate). It seems simple to follow, but it's easy to forget when you get busy or distracted in the cockpit."






NTSB Identification: CEN16FA211
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, June 09, 2016 in Houston, TX
Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORP SR20, registration: N4252G
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 June 9, 2016, about 1309 central daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 single-engine airplane, N4252G, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain following a loss of control during initial climb at the William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston, Texas. The pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Safe Aviation, LLC, Moore, Oklahoma, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. The airplane had departed from University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport (OUN), Norman, Oklahoma, about 1000 and was destined for HOU.

After arrival at HOU the airplane was on a visual approach for a landing to the northeast on runway 4 when the tower controller directed the pilot to go-around and enter right traffic for runway 35. During the second approach the pilot was again directed to go-around and to expect another approach to land on runway 35. On the last approach the airplane was landing to the north on runway 35 when the pilot radioed they were going around. Witnesses saw the airplane at low altitude when it suddenly turned to the left and began descending. A security camera video image showed that the airplane was spinning to the left and was about 45 degrees nose down in a wings level attitude when it impacted an unoccupied automobile in a hardware store parking lot about one-half mile north of runway 35. The video image also showed the airplane's airframe parachute rocket motor deployed at the moment of impact, however the parachute remained stowed in the empennage and did not deploy.

At 1253 the automated surface observation system at HOU reported wind from 100 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 3,600 feet above ground level (agl), broken clouds at 25,000 feet agl, temperature 32 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 22 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.94 inches of mercury. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed that, at the accident location, at 1309, the altitude of the sun was about 83 degrees above the horizon and the azimuth of the sun was about 158 degrees.


Balloons are released at a prayer service Monday at Community Christian School in Norman for Tony, Dana and Jerry Gray, who were killed last week in a plane crash in Houston. All three have children who attend Community Christian. 


If there’s one thing Tony Gray loved — other than his wife, Dana, brother, Jerry, his roofing business and the company of friends — it was his toys.

Tony and Dana were regulars out at Thunder Valley Raceway Park, where he enjoyed racing dragsters and roadsters, the competition and time with friends. While the engines may not be running heavy the next time competitors take to the track, hearts certainly will be.

“He didn’t care if you were a competitor driving a million-dollar rig or if you were emptying the trash cans at the track, he treated everybody the same,” said Eric Casperson, owner of Boyd’s Racing Engines in Norman, where Tony has been a customer for at least 20 years.

Communities in both Moore and Norman are mourning after Tony, Dana and Jerry died Thursday when the single-engine plane they were flying in crashed while trying to land at William P. Hoby Airport in Houston.

A prayer service was hosted Monday on the Community Christian School football field in Norman, where children of all three attend. More than 450 people attended, said Jill Porter, a family friend.

Balloons were released into the sky at the conclusion of the prayer service.

Tony and Dana owned the family run Statewide Roofing in Moore. The company has not issued a direct statement to the media, but a message on Statewide’s Facebook page was posted June 9: “We were devastated to learn of the tragic accident claiming the lives of 3 of our loved ones today. Tony and Dana Gray touched the lives of everyone around them with their huge hearts. It is a difficult time for us all. We want to thank everyone that has reached out to us with your kind thoughts and prayers. Please keep the prayers coming!”

Statewide also announced that a remembrance service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Crossroads Church in Oklahoma City for friends and family.

Porter said the group was flying to Houston to see Tony and Jerry’s father, who is receiving cancer treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dana was piloting the aircraft, she said.

The family has been in the Moore-Norman area for many years, Porter said, and is well known. 

Casperson remembers Tony as a fastidious race car enthusiast who always looked for the best.

“He always wanted everything first class,” he said. “He wanted parts from the top shelf, top quality, and he wanted it to look the best, too.”

It wasn’t just Tony that got involved in the effort, either.

“If we were out in the shop working on a car, she (Dana) was bringing sandwiches and drinks out to us,” Casperson said.

The Grays ran their business in similar fashion. In a statement on its Facebook page, Thunder Valley referred to Statewide as a longtime sponsor and supporter of local racing. Many went to the business for its level of service.

“We built a relationship with him over the years,” Casperson said. “He’s put roofs on our business, and every one of our families and extended families have Statewide roofs.”

The value of the Grays and Statewide was even more evident following the 2013 tornado. Casperson said the business was a big help as the community rebuilt.

“It seemed like profit was secondary to him,” he said. “He wanted to have a good job done, and customer satisfaction was the most important issue.”

The National Transportation Safety Board reported that the plane crashed on its third attempt to land and came to rest in a business parking lot northwest of the airport.

A spokesman said a preliminary report on the crash is expected to be ready next week, but a full report may take much longer.

The Cirrus SR20 (N42526) is registered with Safe Aviation LLC of Moore, according to FAA registration records. 

Original article can be found here:  http://www.normantranscript.com

International Hot Rod Association Family Loses Tony And Dana Gray In Tragic Plane Crash: http://www.ihra.com


Memorial at crash site.


Tony and Dana Gray

Dana Gray is pictured with her son Jared, 21, in the Cirrus SR20.




HOUSTON - For nearly 20 minutes, air traffic controllers at Hobby Airport tried to guide a single-engine plane down safely. Instead, it crashed in the parking lot of an Ace Hardware store.  All three people on board were killed. 

Below is a timeline of selected radio traffic transmissions, according to the website liveatc.net: 

12:50 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “Cirrus 5-2 Golf, maintain maximum forward speed. If able, proceed directly to numbers. 737 is on a nine mile final following you with an 80 knot overtake.”

12:52 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “Cirrus 5-2 Golf, tower.”

Pilot: “42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “Yeah, I got traffic behind you. Just go around and fly runway heading now. Maintain VFR to put you back in a downwind for runway 3-5. The winds are zero niner zero at 1-3. Gusts 1-8. Can you accept runway 3-5?”

Pilot: “We’ll go around and line-up for runway 3-5. Downwind.”

Air Traffic Control: “Fly runway heading for four for right now.”

Pilot: “We’ll fly runway heading for four. 42-52 Golf.”

12:53 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “A 737 on five mile final, runway four. You’re going to be in front of him.

Pilot: “42-52 Golf, turning around for runway 3-5.”

Air Traffic Control: “Okay 52 Golf, let’s just, just enter the right downwind for runway 3-5.

Pilot: “Right downwind for 3-5 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “52-Golf, I’ll call your right base now.”

12:54 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “Cirrus 52-Golf. 737 at your two o’clock and three miles at niner hundred feet inbound for runway four. Advise when you have traffic in sight.”

Pilot: “I have traffic in sight. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “42-52 Golf, make a right base behind that traffic for me, 3-5. Clear to land. You’re going to be following them. They’re going to be landing crossing runway prior to your arrival.”

Pilot: “We’ll make a right base following them. 42-52 Golf for 3-5.”

Air Traffic Control: “Southwest 35-64. Cirrus traffic ahead and to your right. Has you in sight. Going to make a right base behind you. Landing crossing runway behind you.”

Southwest Pilot: “Southwest 35-64.”

Air Traffic Control: “Cirrus 5-2 Golf. Make a, turn left 30 degrees.

Pilot: “Left heading 30 degrees. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “November 5-2 Golf, did you want to follow the 737 runway four?

Pilot: “Yes, that would be great. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “November 5-2 Golf, roger.  Follow the 737 and it’s runway four, clear to land.  

Pilot: “So am I turning a right base now 42-52 Golf?”

Air Traffic Control: “November 5-2 Golf, roger. Just maneuver back for the straight in. I don’t know which way you’re going now. Just turn back around to runway 3-5.

Pilot: “Turning to 3-5. I’m so sorry for the confusion. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “That’s okay. We’ll get it.”

12:56 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “November 5-2 Golf, I need to you, okay, there you go. Straight into runway 3-5. Clear to land.”

Pilot: “Straight into 3-5. Cleared to land. And I don’t believe I’m lined up for that. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “Okay 5-2 Golf. Roger. Turn to the right. And climb, maintain 1,600. Right turn.”

Pilot: “1,600 right turn. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “5-2 Gulf, yes ma’am. Heading about 0-4-0.”

Pilot: “0-4-0. 42-52 Golf.”

12:57 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “Okay 5-2 Golf. Let’s do this. Can you do a right turn back to join the straight in to 3-5? Could you do it like that?”

Pilot: “Yes, right turn back to 3-5. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “November 5-2 Golf, okay so you’re just going to make a right turn all the way around to runway 3-5. And now you’re clear to land.”

Pilot: “3-5 clear to land. 42-52 Golf.”

1:05 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “5-2 Golf, there’s a 747 on short final. Runway four touching down right in front of you. Just caution wake turbulence right at that intersection. “

Pilot: “Okay. I’ve got that in sight. Thank you. 42-52 Golf.”

1:07 p.m.

Pilot: “Runway 3-5 in sight. 42-52 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “5-2 Golf, winds zero niner zero at 13. Gusts at 1-8. Runway 3-5, again cleared to land.”

Pilot: “3-5, cleared to land. Trying to get down again (laughs). 42-45 Golf.”

Air Traffic Control: “No problem.”

1:08 p.m.

Air Traffic Control: “Cirrus 42-52 Golf just go ahead and make the left turn now to enter the downwind, midfield downwind for only four, if you can just give me a nice tight pattern, I’m going to have traffic four miles behind you so I need you to just kind of keep it in tight if you could. And actually I might end up sequencing behind that traffic it’s going four miles a minute, it is going to be a little bit tight with the one behind it, so when you get on that downwind, stay on the downwind and advise me when you have that 737 in site, will either do four or we might swing you around to 3-5.  Uh ma’am, ma’am straighten up straighten up.”

The plane then appeared to flat spin to the ground, landing on a car parked outside the store. Relatives confirm that Tony Gray, his wife Dana and brother Jerry were on the plane. 

Original article can be found here:   http://www.khou.com

Work crews meticulously gathered up every piece of glass or metal from the crash site to be sent with the Cirrus SR20.

Pieces of the Cirrus SR20 and crash debris were put on a trailer to be taken to a secure storage facility for investigation.

Tom Latson, an air safety investigation from the NTSB gave reporters an update on the Cirrus SR20 crash near Hobby Airport.




Here is an assembled track for N4252G. The crash site is marked with a red X. I added runway 04 and 35. Wind was 13-18kt from 090, so on her final left turn, she had a strong tail wind without sufficient ground speed.   -Martin


FULL VIDEO: Deadly plane crash near Hobby Airport (Warning: Graphic video) 





HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Video was just released of a small plane crash near Hobby Airport that killed three members of an Oklahoma family.

A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman says the plane crashed at 1:12pm Thursday into a vehicle parked outside an Ace Hardware store in the 6800 block of Telephone. No one was inside the parked car, but all three people aboard the plane died immediately.

Police in Moore, Oklahoma, have identified the victims as Tony, Dana and Jerry Gray. Dana and Tony were married; Jerry was Tony's brother. They were flying from Norman, Oklahoma, to Houston to visit the brothers' father, who is a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a family friend. Dana Gray was the pilot.

"Dana was a very safe pilot. She loved flying. She's been flying that plane for a very long time," said Jeremy Lewis, a family friend and also a sergeant for the Moore Police Department. "Pretty much anyone in Moore know who the Grays are. They're very involved with the community. They're just the best people and it's just unbelievable three of them are gone."

The NTSB said the Cirrus SR-20 plane, a fixed wing single-engine aircraft, was en route to Hobby Airport. Gray was trying to land but the plane was too high, so the air traffic controller told them to go around the towers and try again. The air traffic controller also warned about wake turbulence from a nearby 737. During a second attempt, the spokesman said the plane nose-dived into the ground.

Audio released by air traffic control revealed the final moments before the crash: "Ma'am, ma'am, straighten up! Straighten up!"

"I saw the plane. It was going everywhere, all over the place," Navisa Artani said.

That model plane is equipped with a parachute. NTSB investigator Tom Latson said the rocket motor deployed but the parachute never did and it's unclear whether the deployment was before or during the crash. There was no mayday call.

In the seconds before the plane crashed, eyewitnesses say they heard something that could prove critically important to investigators.

"You ever listen to those guys playing with toy airplanes? How they spit and sputter -- that's what he sound like," said eyewitness Don Howard.

That sound was corroborated by others nearby.

As the plane crashed outside the Gateway Ace Hardware, Ann Maryland was at work inside.

"It was like a transformer had blew, it was real, real loud and it shook the building," she said.

Houston Fire department Capt. Ruy Lozano says there was no HazMat spill or fire as a result of the crash.

The NTSB plans to return to the crash site Friday to continue the investigation. The aircraft manufacturer and engine manufacturer will join federal investigators.

Dana and Tony Gray had four children and owned a roofing business. Some family members traveled to Houston Thursday evening to speak to investigators.

Story and video:  http://abc13.com


HOUSTON - The National Transportation Safety Board continued its investigation Friday into the private plane crash that left three dead near the Hobby Airport.

The aircraft, which investigators said was a Cirrus SR20, left its home base at University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport in Norman, Oklahoma around 10 p.m. Wednesday before attempting to land just after 1 p.m. Thursday in the 6800 block of Telephone Road near Airport Blvd. in southeast Houston.

The control tower reportedly told the aircraft it was too high to land and to go around again.

"(The plane) was in a flat spin before the moment of impact," Latson said. As opposed to falling in a nose dive, he said.

Surveillance video from the accident has been released, but KPRC is choosing not to show the impact of the crash due to the graphic nature of the scene and out of respect for the families involved.

Plane Crash Surveillance: http://www.click2houston.com/video


Cirrus SR20, N4252G


Officials released new information on Friday as investigators continue to piece together what caused a small plane to crash into the parking lot of an Ace Hardware store, just blocks from Hobby Airport on Thursday afternoon.  

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Tom Latson said security footage from the store revealed the plane was “relatively wing-level, relatively nose-level and spinning counterclockwise to the left” when it crashed onto a car in the parking lot at 6860 block of Telephone.

Latson told reporters noon Friday that the air traffic controller at Hobby airport directed the pilot to fly around the airport and retry landing a second time. The controller told the pilot that the plane was too high up on the second approach and would have to try re-entry a third time.

"And for some reason, the air traffic controller directed them to go around," Latson said. "The pilot made a right turn, was directed to land on runway 35, to the north. During that second approach to runway 35, the pilot was again instructed to go around because the pilot appeared to be too high." It was during the fly around on the third entry that the plane began to fly slow and low, according to witnesses that spoke to authorities.

"Witnesses saw the plane bank to the left and impact at the 6800 block of Telephone," Latson said. He said that he didn't know the level of the pilot's experience or how the pilot flew. The pilot was also instructed to fly into a different runway on the second attempt. It's unclear to Latson why this instruction was made.

“I have confirmed with the fixed-base operator at the Norman (Oklahoma) airport that the plane was topped, it should give five hours of flight time,” Latson said when asked if the plane crashed due to lack of fuel. The airplane departed from the airport in Norman at about 10:15 a.m. Thursday for the flight to Houston, and crashed approximately 3 hours later. 

Latson noted fuel tanks on the plane were completely disrupted, so officials will have to investigate the fuel lines to see if an empty tank was a factor in the crash.

The  plane, a Cirrus SR20, comes equipped with an Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), which did not deploy before the crash.

The parachute, which is activated via a handle in the plane's cockpit, was still in its casing, although the rocket motor used to deploy the chute was ejected on impact.

Investigators do not currently know if the handle was pulled, but a digital record of what happened will be analyzed at a later date, according to the NTSB.

Latson confirmed the pilot was a woman and that he did meet with the family of the three victims.He did not disclose their names or any additional information about them.

However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, the Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Okla. identified the victims as Tony Gray, his wife Dana and brother Jerry.

"Everyone at (Thunder Valley Raceway Park) would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the Gray family. We have no words to describe the loss to the (Thunder Valley Raceway Park) family, as the Gray family have been long time racers, sponsors, and friends at the track," they said in the Facebook post. They ended it with: "Race in Peace."

FAA records list a Dana Frances Gray from Moore, Okla., as having a license to be a private pilot. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane is owned by Safe Aviation LLC in Moore, Okla.

 An investigator with the NTSB on Thursday said the tower at Hobby Airport told the pilot the airplane was approaching the runway at too high an altitude.

"On the second approach, they were also too high. The air traffic controller again directed the aircraft to go around," said NTSB investigator Tom Latson.

 As it was making a third attempt to land at Hobby, the airplane apparently stalled and lost power. Witnesses saw it dive nose-first toward the ground, Latson said.

The airplane collided with a car but narrowly missed any nearby buildings, power lines and a propane tank. There were no other reported injuries.

Original article can be found here:   http://www.chron.com



OKLAHOMA CITY - A family is devastated and "in complete shock" after a plane crash claimed the lives of those they loved most.

Dana Gray, her husband, Tony Gray, and his brother, Jerry Gray, died after their single-engine fixed-wing aircraft came down in the parking lot of an Ace Hardware store near Houston's Hobby Airport Thursday afternoon.

Family friends said the trio was traveling to Houston to visit a relative in the hospital fighting cancer.

Dana was at the controls of the Cirrus SR20, a plane friends said she had owned for more than two years and flew frequently.

Experienced pilots call it "one of the safest airplanes on the market."

"They're a fast, powerful airplane, but it's well constructed," said Hal Harris, a flight instructor at AirOne Flight Academy with more than 40 years of experience. "If they have the proper training and just fly the airplane the way it's supposed to be done, it's a safe airplane."

Cirrus is a relatively new company, Harris said, and its products are state of the art, featuring new technology that can get confusing or overwhelming at times.

"It can also be a bit more complicated flying it," he said. "It's like working two or three computers at the same time."

In addition to the 40 hours required for a pilot's license, Cirrus requires additional training in its aircraft, Harris said, because it is considered "technologically advanced."

The NTSB said the initial signs point to stalling as the plane attempted to land.

"Since the witness saw the aircraft had a steep angle of attack and impacted the ground at a steep angle of impact, that is likely the case, yes," said investigator Tom Latson.

Audio transmissions between the cockpit and control tower indicate the pilot was having trouble making her final approach.

Twice, air traffic controllers told her she was coming in too high.

The last communication is a controller telling the pilot to "straighten up."

"That's the most challenging part of flying is landing," Harris said, citing the precision required at high speeds.

Cirrus SR20 planes are equipped with parachutes, but Dana's did not deploy, Houston's KPRC reports.

"It would be extremely rare that you need to use that parachute for anything," Harris said. "You're too low to the ground to use the parachute when you come into land it. You get below a certain altitude, and there's just not enough room for recovery."

Story and video:  http://kfor.com




HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Why did the plane carrying three family members from Oklahoma go down in an Ace Hardware parking lot, killing everyone on board?

That's the question investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hope to answer. They arrived at the crash site around 8:00 Friday morning and immediately began taking pictures and measuring where and how the plane sits in the taped off parking lot.

A spokesperson with NTSB says aircraft and engine specialists will arrive late morning to take notes. Then, the plane will be cut up and loaded onto a flatbed. It will be driven to a warehouse in Dallas where the investigation continues. It could be months before investigators learn what happened.

Investigators are looking for clues as to why a small plane crashed near Hobby Airport, killing three family members.

The crash happened Thursday at 1:12pm at the Gateway Ace Hardware store in the 6800 block of Telephone Road in southeast Houston.

The plane slammed into a parked car, killing all three people aboard. There was no one inside the car at the time of the crash.

Dana, Tony and Jerry Gray were flying from Norman, Oklahoma to visit Jerry's father, a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dana Gray was the pilot of the Cirrus SR-20, and attempted to land three times before the plane made a fatal spin into the ground. Surveillance video shows the spin just prior to the impact.

Investigators say there was an attempt to deploy a parachute, but it did not launch in time to make a difference.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to give an update later today about their investigation into the crash. A preliminary report may be made available next week on ntsb.gov.

Story and video:   http://abc13.com


HOUSTON - Three people were killed Thursday in a small plane crash near Hobby Airport, according to the Houston Fire Department.

We have been told by friends at the family business in Oklahoma that they believe Jerry Gray, his brother Tony Gray and Tony's wife Dana Gray were all on the plane headed from Norman, Oklahoma, to Houston to visit Jerry and Tony's sick father, who is being treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The crash happened just after 1 p.m. in the 6800 block of Telephone Road near Airport Blvd. in southeast Houston. 

Air traffic control audio reviewed by Channel 2 and provided by liveatc.net reveals there was initial confusion between the tower and the pilot about the landing path and which runway to use.

The control tower reportedly told the aircraft it was too high to land and to go around again.

The plane was equipped with a motor to deploy a parachute. The motor did deploy near or at impact, but the parachute never did.

The wreckage will be taken to a secure storage facility in Dallas and will be examined further.

According to Federal Aviation Administration registration records, the plane is a 2012 Cirrus SR20 fixed wing, single-engine plane registered out of Oklahoma.

A witness, Nicole Andrews, told KPRC 2 that she was stopped in traffic on Telephone when she saw the plane on top of what appeared to be a black Honda Accord in the parking lot of an Ace Hardware store.

No one was inside the car, fire officials said.

Andrews said as she passed the scene she could see a body inside the plane.

“Witnesses were more shocked than anything. The alarm [in the car] was going off and there was smoke,” she said.

HFD Captain Ruy Lozano said there was no threat of a fuel spill that could cause a fire or explosion. 

All three victims died at the scene. No other injuries were reported, according to Lozano.

“We found out the impact killed all three passengers. It actually struck a vehicle. You can see [it] didn’t strike a building and there was no one in the vehicle," he said.  

Lozano said the plane was equipped with a parachute but it did not deploy.

“A lot of these aircrafts have parachutes that will deploy on impact," he said. "Well that parachute's system is still intact so we’re always worried after impact it could go off spontaneously. That’s why we asked everyone to move back”

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Story and video:   http://www.click2houston.com


Tom Latson, National Transportation Safety Board investigator, walks from a press conference Thursday, June 9, 2016, in Houston. 


NTSB's Tom Latson talks during a press conference Thursday, June 9, 2016, in Houston.






































Dana and Tony Gray


HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Three members of an Oklahoma family were killed this afternoon in a small plane crash near Hobby Airport.

A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman says the plane crashed at 1:12pm into a vehicle parked outside an Ace Hardware store in the 6800 block of Telephone. No one was inside the parked car, but all three people aboard the plane died immediately.

Police in Moore, Oklahoma have identified the victims as Tony, Dana and Jerry Gray. Dana and Tony were married; Jerry was Tony's brother. They were flying from Norman, OK to Houston to visit the brothers' father who is a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a family friend. Dana Gray was the pilot.

"Dana was a very safe pilot. She loved flying. She's been flying that plane for a very long time," said Jeremy Lewis, a family friend and also a sergeant for the Moore Police Department. "Pretty much anyone in Moore know who the Grays are. They're very involved with the community. They're just the best people and it's just unbelievable three of them are gone."

The NTSB said the Cirrus SR-20 plane, a fixed wing single-engine aircraft, was en route to Hobby Airport. Gray was trying to land but the plane was too high, so the air traffic controller told them to go around the towers and try again. The air traffic controller also warned about wake turbulence from a nearby 737. During a second attempt, the spokesman said the plane nose-dived into the ground.

"I saw the plane. It was going everywhere, all over the place," Navisa Artani said.

That model plane is equipped with a parachute. NTSB investigator Tom Latson said the rocket motor deployed but the parachute never did and it's unclear whether the deployment was before or during the crash. There was no mayday call.

In the seconds before the plane crashed, eyewitnesses say they heard something that could prove critically important to investigators.

"You ever listen to those guys playing with toy airplanes? How the spit and sputter. That's what he sound like," said eyewitness Don Howard.

That sound was corroborated by others nearby.

As the plane crashed outside the Gateway Ace Hardware, Ann Maryland was at work inside.

"It was like a transformer had blew, it was real, real loud and it shook the building," she said.

Houston Fire department Capt. Ruy Lozano says there was no HazMat spill or fire as a result of the crash.

The NTSB plans to return to the crash site Friday to continue the investigation. The aircraft manufacturer and engine manufacturer will join federal investigators.


Dana and Tony Gray had four children and owned a roofing business. Some family members traveled to Houston Thursday evening to speak to investigators.

Story and video:  http://abc13.com






HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Three siblings were killed this afternoon in a small plane crash near Hobby Airport.


A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman says the plane crashed at 1:12pm into a vehicle parked outside an Ace Hardware store in the 6800 block of Telephone. No one was inside the parked car, but all three people -- two brothers and a sister -- aboard the plane died immediately.


The spokesman said the Cirrus SR-20 plane, a fixed wing single-engine aircraft, was en route to Hobby Airport. The pilot was trying to land in Runway 3 but the plane was too high, so the air traffic controller told them to go around the towers and try again. A second attempt was made but yielded the same results. The spokesman said the plane nose-dived into the ground during the third try.


Audio released by air traffic control revealed the final moments before the crash: "Ma'am, ma'am, straighten up! Straighten up!"


Narissa Artani was watching from below.


"I saw the plane. It was going everywhere, all over the place," Artani said.


In the seconds before the plane crashed, eyewitnesses say they heard something that could prove critically important to investigators.


"You ever listen to those guys playing with toy airplanes? How the spit and sputter. That's what he sound like," said eyewitness Don Howard.


That sound was corroborated by others nearby.


As the plane crashed outside the Gateway Ace Hardware, Ann Maryland was at work inside.


"It was like a transformer had blew, it was real, real loud and it shook the building," she said.


Maryland wasn't sure what happened or what she should do. For a second, she says she froze.


"I just ducked, like it was inside the building itself. It's nothing I could do except stand there in shock," said Maryland.


A family friend tells abc13 the siblings are from a well-known family in the Moore, Oklahoma area. Eyewitness News is not yet reporting their names because family members are still being notified.


The family friend says the victims were in Houston to visit their father, a patient at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.


The sister, according to the family friend, was piloting the plane. She managed to miss a propane tank just feet away from the crash site. Witness Yudel Guajardo thinks that was done on purpose.


"Intentionally avoid a big tragedy," he said. "Chose to crash into the car than the propane tank or the building itself."


HFD spokesman Ruy Lozano says there was no HazMat spill or fire as a result of the crash.


The NTSB plans to return to the crash site Friday to clean up. The aircraft manufacturer and engine manufacturer will be helping the agency investigate the crash.


The crash investigation is not hindering air traffic at Hobby Airport.



Original article can be found here:   http://abc13.com






HOUSTON - Three people were killed when a small plane crashed near Hobby Airport Thursday afternoon. It's a miracle no one on the ground was hurt, investigators say. 

The Cirrus single-engine SR-20 crashed in the parking lot of an Ace Hardware Store just after 1 p.m. It narrowly missed the store full of people. 

The plane went down a few yards from a large propane tank but there was no fire, according to HFD. It also missed power lines in the area.

"Yes, that's remarkable," said NTSB investigator Tom Lathson. 

Lathson said the pilot was "too high" on her first two attempts to land and was told to "go around." 

In a recording from the Air Traffic Control tower just before the crash, a controller is heard telling the pilot, "Ma'am, ma'am, straighten up! Straighten up!"  

"After executing a go-around maneuver, the aircraft was seen to descend suddenly nose-first into the parking lot," Lathson said. 

The plane apparently stalled before it nosedived, according to Lathson. 

Relatives told KWTV in Oklahoma City that Tony Gray, his wife Dana and brother Jerry were on the plane. Dana Gray was piloting the plane. She got her pilot's license in 2014. 

Relatives say they were flying to Houston to see Tony and Jerry Gray's father, who is being treated at M.D. Anderson. 

A witness said the plane just "fell right out of the sky and plummeted to the ground." 

Kendrick Mickens also saw the crash happen. 

"I feel sorrow, I have children, I have a family," Mickens said. "And that family, I pray the best for them. I was thinking all of those things that you think when you get that close to death, because that was pretty close."

An employee inside the store said it sounded like a "loud boom" when the plane hit. She said the car that was crushed by the plane belonged to a store employee.

It happened on Telephone Road near Airport, northwest of the airport. 

The plane is registered in Moore, Oklahoma and was headed from Norman, Oklahoma to Hobby. 

Original article can be found here:   http://www.khou.com
































Air traffic controllers at Hobby Airport on Thursday twice ordered the pilot of a small private plane to go around and make another attempt at a safe landing before it crashed into a nearby parking lot, killing the three people who were aboard.

The Cirrus SR20 crashed shortly after 1 p.m., striking a car parked at an Ace Hardware store in the 6800 block of Telephone - about a mile northwest of the airport. The pilot and two passengers were killed on impact.

An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said the tower at Hobby Airport told the pilot the airplane was approaching the runway at too high an altitude.

"On the second approach, they were also too high. The air traffic controller again directed the aircraft to go around," said NTSB investigator Tom Latson.

As it was making a third attempt to land at Hobby, the airplane apparently stalled and lost power. Witnesses saw it dive nose-first toward the ground, Latson said.

The airplane collided with a car but narrowly missed any nearby buildings, power lines and a propane tank. There were no other reported injuries.

"That is remarkable," Latson said.

The airplane departed from the airport in Norman, Okla. about 10:15 a.m. Thursday for the flight to Houston. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane is owned by Safe Aviation LLC in Moore, Okla.

Latson did not identify the pilot or passengers, saying that would be up to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Okla. identified the victims as Tony Gray, his wife Dana and brother Jerry.

"Everyone at (Thunder Valley Raceway Park) would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the Gray family. We have no words to describe the loss to the (Thunder Valley Raceway Park) family, as the Gray family have been long time racers, sponsors, and friends at the track," they said in the Facebook post. They ended it with: "Race in Peace."

FAA records also list a Dana Frances Gray from Moore, Okla., as having a license to be a private pilot. But, it wasn't immediately known Thursday whether she was at the controls during the fatal crash.

The airplane was equipped with a unique parachute system that is designed to prevent such crashes. If necessary, the pilot can pull a handle on the cockpit ceiling that will trigger the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. It is designed to provide a crucial extra layer of safety.

When the handle is pulled, a rocket will shoot out and draw out a parachute. The force of the rocket also releases straps once connected to the fuselage that within seconds become part of the harness for the unfurling parachute.

"It appears the rocket motor deployed either immediately before or just after impact," Latson said. "The rocket motor did deploy (but) the parachute did not."

On Thursday, a spokesman for the Duluth, Minn.-based Cirrus Aircraft could not be reached for comment. Last year, a private plane with the same parachute system successfully set down in a neighborhood cul-de-sac in northwest Harris County after the pilot reported having engine problems. Company officials have said their system works when the plane is at least 500 feet above the ground and flying about 130 knots.

The investigation into Thursday's fatal crash will continue Friday. The manufacturer of the aircraft and the engine will be involved in the inquiry. After that, the aircraft will be taken to Dallas and stored in a secure facility until the investigation continues, Latson said.

Original article can be found here: http://www.chron.com

73 comments:

  1. Sadly, total confusion all around, caught in traffic with 737s and a 747, eyes on the panel, eyes outside and maybe spatial disorientation starting to set in as the PIC tried to maintain altitude and direction. Add to that mix the stress of all three on-board.

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  2. She may have been in over her head experience wise flying into Hobby but ATC basically killed her, they should never have rushed and pulled her off 1st approach. After 1st go around they should have had approach leave some space and time from inbound traffic, if you listen to tape atc really set her up for disaster,

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  3. Shame on FAA Air Traffic Control! They were obviously not concerned about the three souls onboard . . . rather they just wanted the aircraft to get out of their airspace. Professionalism sure was not evident with these controllers . . . The controller's union, for all they do to lobby congress for protecting their members, should look at what it needs to do to keep their members from screwing up like this. SHAME SHAME!

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  4. I disagree with ATC not being professional. He was trying very hard to help her get on the ground, even at one point holding back air traffic to give her space. Unfortunately the pilot showed she was not experienced enough to handle the landing. That ATC was trying for nearly 20 minutes to get her safely on the ground. At one point he even says he doesn't know where she is going because she was all over the place.

    This was the fault of an inexperienced pilot who shouldn't have been flying that plane if she couldn't even handle a landing.

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  5. Individual controller(s) yes, the 'controller's union' is a stretch. Bottom line is the PIC is in charge.

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  6. I have had a similar experience there in an SR22. I will point out that I initially contributed by being slightly confused about which runway they wanted me on after I was adjusted to another runway. I was peeled off and in the stress left my flaps a notch down while talking to them. I was asked to try to catch the next runway (impossible tight turn) which I thought about (in my blazing hot cockpit after a long flight) and said to myself HELL NO (despite wanting to land badly.. an avoid getting sent out and back which I knew might happen).. I was condescendingly told to keep circling the airport and I ignored them while my brain finally noted why I was not flying nicely despite significant power (hey flaps!) my heart rate spiked but I got it around and down. This was a miserable experience and I am a highly experienced cirrus pilot flying alone... A newbie in an underpowered plane getting buffeted by jet turbulence with passengers after a long hot flight and already deteroiating mental performance... game over man, game over. Very very sad. The controllers to their credit on this tape were 'nice' in their tone, but remember.. ANYTIME YOU HEAR THE DEADLY WORDS "KEEP IT TIGHT" you had better decline unless you are on your AAA game and max situational awareness. Anything less, nope the $(*)$ out.

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  7. Listened to the tape, accountability resides 100% with the PIC. I know it's fun to point the finger but ATC but their job is to facilitate traffic coordination, sequencing and separation. It's the PICs responsibility to say 'unable' if they feel they are unable to comply with instructions and remain in control of the aircraft.

    In this particular case it seems the controller recognized a possible stall situation and tried to get her to correct it. The problem was she didn't recognize it in time.

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  8. The controller did a good job, low time pilots trying to fly with the Big boys get you every time. Besides not declaring a fuel shortage.

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  9. It is the pilot's responsibility for the safety of the flight. The controllers did the best they could. Reality is, the winds were not appropriate for a light airplane to land on 35. The pilot should have requested to land on 12L or 12R. If the controllers were not able to accommodate the request then the pilot should have diverted to any one of the 5 airports within 15 miles (that are not congested with commercial traffic).

    Very tragic accident, we should try to learn as much as we can to not make the same mistakes this pilot did. There is always hesitancy to blame the pilot, but sometimes it is the pilot's fault.

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  10. I hope by "correct it" and the controller saying "pull your nose up" -- uh, thats not much help. A panic stricken newbie pilot will be trying to pull the controller out of its housing when an unexpected stall occurs...ie worthless advice.

    Useful advice would have been "ma'am you want to go out and come back in on xx rwy which has minimal crosswinds? Why don't you do that, I'll get you back in as soon as possible, no worries. Turn to heading... "

    THAT would have been helpful advice. You want helpful? Don't ask a government employee thats for damn sure. On any given day you might get a nice thoughtful person, but don't bet your life on it !

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  11. I missed this ATC's direction, "pull your nose up"; now I understand the STALL.

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  12. You know that 737's and 747's can go around also. I've been in a 747 that did a go-around at DFW once, it was a non-event.

    Seems to me the plane at the lower altitude on final has the right of way, if the controller can't sequence different speed aircraft perhaps they need some remedial training.

    I also wonder if she was running on fumes, perhaps should have changed tanks earlier but got overloaded with the approach and go-arounds and starved the engine at the least opportune moment.

    Just a sad situation all the way around.

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  13. One point I can see, not to be a Monday morning QB, did she really need to go into Hobby? Plenty of small airports in the HOU area. For a newbie, Class B airports are busy. I'd have gone to the nearby GA airports, called Uber for a ride.

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  14. "The pilot was instructed to fly into a different runway on the second attempt. It's unclear to National Transportation Safety Board investigator Tom Latson why this instruction was made."

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  15. The control tower kept telling the pilot that she was too high to land and made her go around to different runways three (3) times with airliners all around her. They should have just let her land. The runways are sooooo long to accommodate the huge airliners. She would have had plenty of runway to get her tiny plane down. The controllers should have tried to help her instead harassing her and condescending. After missing two (2) approaches they should have known she was in trouble. The whole episode makes me sick.

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  16. The tower never should have made her go around the first time, they have a pressure to cater to the airliners, had they made the 737 go around and let her continue her approach this wouldn't have happened, I see GA aircraft I fly vectored because of airline traffic everyday and this one ended badly.

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  17. ATC is not here to coddle a PIC that is over their head. She got her PPL in 2014 and thus a low time pilot flying a semi High performance aircraft for someone in the 100-200 hr time frame.

    She tried three times to land, once lined up on the wrong runway and every time was way too high. Tower tried the best they could and had to mitigate the need for her to land and the need for airliners carrying hundreds to land safely. She stalled her plane all by herself and the NTSB will find pilot error. I dont know if the tower could legally given her vectors out of the area and told her to land at another class C or D airport. The winds werent anything to comment about.....It sounds she was confused, combined with some spatial disorientation.

    Me? ATP 9500Hrs 25 years flying everything from 172's to G550's

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  18. The way I do it, is when ATC says "cleared to land" I acknowledge that and stop talking to them. I own the runway now.

    If they say go around, I just say "unable". Because I own the runway.

    I've had them threaten me with overtaking traffic, and I just say, "better give them a missed approach, or have them do S-turns, cause I own the runway".

    Being from Hooterville, this pilot had no business going into Hobby. They have jet spacing, not prop spacing. Once she let ATC run her out of gas, and take command, she was toast.

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  19. From what I heard on the ATC audio (and witnesses) this is clearly abuse of power/authority by a federal government employee. Lawsuits will be plentiful from this one.

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  20. Tight pattern stall - spin in a high performance aircraft with an overworked and apparently low-time pilot in heavy traffic atmosphere at a very busy airport. Even a high-time pilot would have been busy. Unfortunately, air traffic control added to her workload by switching back forth from RW 04 and 35, as well as telling her to keep her pattern tight.

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  21. I also don’t understand why the controller told the pilot she was “too high” on the approaches. No doubt she was trying to stay above the wake of the preceding airliners. A pilot with her level of experience would have been able to determine for herself if the approach was not going to work. The Cirrus is a light airplane that does not require as much runway as a jet. She could have landed halfway down the runway and still had adequate runway to stop. My point is, that’s a judgement call the pilot should be making. not the controller. He should have asked “are going to be able to land from there?” and let her decide.

    Also, I wanted to point out, the Cirrus had plenty of fuel on board. In the impact video, you can see several gallons of avgas slosh out of the left wing as it ruptures.

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  22. ATC should be helpful to pilots, not harmful. No question in my mind (PPL 30 years), the controller contributed to the chain of circumstances leading to this fatal accident.

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  23. I understand the pros and cons of "Tide" traffic pattern, however I would suggest to FAA issuance of AC regarding this matter. Pilots feel very obligated for successful cooperation with ATC beyond current proficiency state of the pilot during stated maneuver. This isn't easy maneuver and not required during training (if you can call "tide pattern" an actual maneuver).
    Cross control stalls nor spins are practiced during initial Private Pilot Training plus flying an airplane which cannot recover from such a stall doesn't make it any safer.
    Most likely we will see the words from NTSB "pilot error", "entered flat spin" "close to the ground", "confusion".

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  24. Holy Bejesus! Just let the Cirrus pilot land! Air traffic controller(s) communicating as if they were flight instructors. "You're too high, this should be easy for you, too high, RW 04-- no, make that 35, left turn, make that a right turn, I'll call right base for you, go around, go around, go around, make it tight, make it tight, straighten up....." It just goes on and on. I can't wrap my head around the ATC logic of it all. The unnecessary maneuvers that they put the Cirrus pilot and passengers through - it surely must have been intimidating for them.

    Three souls spinning uncontrollably to the ground --- may they rest in peace.

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  25. No doubt we'll be reading about this one in the "Aftermath" column in Flying Magazine very soon.

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  26. Read this and draw your own conclusion.

    http://www.stevewilsonblog.com/the-cirrus-airplane-has-serious-problems/

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  27. Two knucklehead air traffic controllers. In other countries they would be facing some serious jail time.
    Just sayin'

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  28. Aerodynamic stall, low & slow with a tailwind, then tried to turn-out of runway heading, forget to increase power in third go-around, got behind the airplane, complex a/c, complex airspace, low time pilot, and; too busy too tired. Not ATC's fault

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  29. ATC aggravated situation with insufficient spacing for piston traffic amongst jets, improper communication, & confusion on third attempt rwy assignment. PIC not assertive enough & experienced enough in this particular non-ideal setup for failure. Cross/tailwind rwy assignment, downwind (not downwind leg) turn with gusty winds creating a "downwind stall" with a spin intolerant wing. Yes, will be a case study in the magazines. Lots to learn from on all fronts. A long accident chain. Yes, ATC could use some additional training since these controllers need to be more than a newbie, just as expected from pilots coming into a demanding airport.

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  30. Kathryn,

    Your detailed reporting seemed spot on in my view. It seems like you put a lot of time and effort into getting as much information together on this very, very preventable tragedy.

    Thanks for posting this.

    Juan

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  31. Hobby Airport, is not a place you should fly into, if you are not experienced with a high density, traffic environment. This pilot had no business being where she was, she quickly got overloaded and lost her concentration. As a result, she forgot the basics of *fly the aircraft*, *stall speed increases with bank angle* and in the end, she killed herself and her passengers. This accident, while regrettable, was fully preventable, if the pilot would have just accepted her limitations and stayed away!

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  32. "Ma'am, straighten up! Straighten up!" @ @

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  33. Sad anyway you look at it, it is interesting how pilots feel obligated to do what air traffic controllers say. It is very rare that a pilot will say "unable" and ask for simplified/modified instructions.

    At what point do you say 4-2-5-2-golf delcaring emergency,
    landing runway 4, clear all traffic.
    Of course she would have gotten the dreaded phone number to call upon landing (at least 3 lives would be saved with this plan)

    Ultimately the PIC is in charge and responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft (FAR 91.3), but I'm not sure why ATC has to warn about 737s and 747s in trail at 4 miles per minute. If sequencing isn't going to be adequate, rushing the cirrus pilot doesn't seem to be the way to correct the situation.

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  34. As a controller for 32 years (in the United States and the Middle East) I can definitely say there's a disconnect between Hobby ATC and the Cirrus pilot. The Hobby air traffic controllers should have a thorough and complete understanding about GA pilots -- who fly smaller, slower aircraft --- the Cirrus pilot is much, much, much busier flying the aircraft manually compared to the airline pilot who has computers doing most of the work. It's a sad day when ATC doesn't align themselves with GA pilots; when tragedies such as what occurred with the Cirrus pilot and passengers. The closed-circuit camera video of N4252G ----> you're looking at it with your very own eyes <------ this is the end result when air traffic controllers don't align themselves with general aviation pilots.

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  35. First off, my condolences to the family. When ATC can't seem to get it right - as PIC, just leave the traffic pattern and hold somewhere for a couple of minutes until things settle down. Been there as well and teach my students this scenario. We are all human and make errors. Even air traffic controllers. But please don't let them add to the possible confusion. Stay in command at all times. And yes, once given clearance to land. Just land. That is your pavement now. Southwest can go around. And maybe, just maybe, they will add pressure to the air traffic controllers to provide better spacing! This accident was very preventable.

    Pilot over 35 years. ATP CFI, 11,000 plus hours. Flown aircraft from a Piper Cub to an A320.

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  36. Look, we understand she was a person who had family and loved ones, but who are these people posting here, honestly, trying to blame the controller?

    ATC in NO way caused this tragedy. They are a busy bravo and expect competent pilots at the top of their game - if she had said "I need more time to reconfigure" or simply "unable" she would have been treated with even MORE kid gloves.

    Listening to the tape, the controllers were extremely accommodating and did not rush her. Try navigating the busy eastern corridor if you want a more tense situation. However, competent pilots appreciate the tight pattern request and being able to cut in front in that sequence. If she couldn't do it, she should say so.

    It is up to all pilots to only fly in situations they are comfortable. She stalled the plane and killed her family, unfortunately paying a very high price for an all too common error.

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  37. Lack of experience in a complex aircraft in a fast paced airport environment caused this accident. I have been flying for 44 years with over 22,000 hours. ATC did their job correctly.

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  38. Everyone has a different perspective of this tragic accident based on their own experience. Jet engine vortex had nothing to do with this unless she was just afraid to decent lower in her attempt to land on 35. (The 737's were landing on 4)

    She had plenty of runway in a Cirrus to land past the thresholds and not let any vortex be a factor. The crosswinds on 35 were a bigger issue for her and the Cirrus than the Jets. She just got into the deep end of the pool and couldn't swim well enough. The ATC guys didn't cause this accident. She was unprepared for the approach and panicked.

    The bigger issue is why did the plane stall? The missing link here is that the witnesses heard the engine sputter, and there was no fuel spill or post accident fire. This screams that the Cirrus was out of fuel, the engine quit and caused the stall. Happened so fast, and with all the other confusion going on with the runways, she didn't know that fuel was a critical issue.

    So, now we have to wonder why it ran out of fuel. The SR20 has a max gross of 3,050 lbs, and an empty weight of 2,150 lbs.
    That leaves 900 lbs of useful load. She was maybe 130lbs, husband was 175lbs, and brother was 200lbs. That leaves 395 lbs for fuel (if they had NO luggage), which is approx 49 gallons. Just enough to get to Houston without any reserve. This has to be a factor. If the FBO in Norman says they topped off the tanks (85 gallons), the plane would have been over grossed at departure. If she was a detailed pilot, she wouldn't have had full fuel because it would have over grossed her.

    All in all, lot to learn for this sad event. Looks like a beautiful family that ended too soon. I pray they knew their creator.

    ATP with 5,500 hrs, Citation driver.

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  39. It all does point to a perfect storm of mis-everything. Many of lessons have been learned at great costs and sorrow. This is one more. Prayers to the family.

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  40. "......on runway 4 when the tower controller directed the pilot to go-around and enter right traffic for runway 35. During the second approach the pilot was again directed to go-around and to expect another approach to land on runway 35...."

    It appears to me tower had full control and direction of the accident plane, pilot and passengers. In my personal opinion, ATC caused this crash. Just sayin'.

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  41. Maybe I missed it, but what exactly were the reasons behind the two go-arounds by atc? Did air traffic controllers observe what could possibly be runway excursions with the Cirrus and commercial airliner landing at the same time? I'm confused as to why they sent the Cirrus to maneuver through two go-arounds. Anyone? Thanks!

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  42. Don't know. Sure sounds like they sent them on a wild-goose chase (a hopeless quest to land at Hobby Airport).

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  43. The jury is (still) out ---- because there's just not enough information from listening to the ATC audio. --- Haven't yet decided if it is good or bad for the controllers. The husband or brother-in-law should have gotten on the radio and said something along the lines of 'we don't give a crap what you say, we'll be landing this plane, whether you like it or not!' Freaking government employees ^#*&##&~!

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  44. The Good ol' Boys Club comes to mind............

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  45. Could be lack of stall and spin awareness training. Distracted by one or more tasks, result is improper airspeed management in the Cirrus. Nice aircraft, I would have gladly offered to be the safety pilot on this flight.

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  46. Low time pilot in a slick airplane at a very busy airport with congested heavy metal sensory overloaded with atc vectoring finals all over the place and finally setting her up for landing with a tailwind.

    Accelerated stall to spin on pull up from go around and attempt to "keep it tight".

    Recipe for an accident every time.

    May the Lord comfort the families and those left behind who knew them.

    This can happen to even those of us who are high time - we should at least pay this deceased aviator the tribute of learning from her.

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  47. I'm not a pilot, but find aviation and Kathryn's Report interesting.

    Question for Pilots:

    Despite the minimums for effective chute operation on the Cirrus being either 500'/1000' depending on who you read, why didn't the pilot when entering the stall immediately activate it and pray for the best?

    ...and I don't say 'pray' in a flippant manner.

    While she must have known she was below the minimums, she would have had a better chance at a miracle for the chute to work at that low altitude than to have attempted a stall/spin recovery, which to my understanding, if it even could be done on the Cirrus, would have taken many 1000's of feet.

    Thanks.

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  48. The Cirrus stalled quickly and they never had a chance to pull the chute. Even if they had, it would have been ineffective at that altitude.

    And all you guys who are blaming ATC for "making" her go around ..... she was too high to land in the first two attempts, that is pilot error for not being prePared for the approach. All pilots have the right to say "unable" to ATC commands. She never did. ATC isn't at fault here, as much as some of you want to blame them. The pilot was not qualified or prepared to deal with the busy Bravo airspace with strong crosswinds on that day ..... and running out of fuel is the most blatant pilot error.

    Terrible loss here that shouldn't have happened.

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  49. "and running out of fuel"
    Really? Fuel exhaustion? I just re-read the NTSB preliminary and no where in their initial report does it state the Cirrus ran out of fuel. Drop the "she"... (if it had been a male let's just see how many here blame the pilot for this accident ... my guess none). Again, the Good Ole Boys Club..... still in this day and age. Shakin' my head.
    ........Waiting for the family to lawyer or lawyers up.......... Gonna bring plenty of popcorn.
    Peace out.

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  50. The Cirrus did not stall quickly. I believe the Cirrus made three or four full turns in the spin. Retard the power lever, apply full opposite rudder, push hard on the stick. Stall practice is invaluable and spin training is even more invaluable. In Canada it's a requirement to have spin training for PPL.

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  51. Your opinion is irrelevant unless you endorsed the pilot's sign-off as a flight instructor, FAA examiner, physically witnessed the accident aircraft while in-flight, on approach, in the traffic pattern, observed the plane maneuver downwind, crosswind, etc.

    "she was too high to land in the first two attempts, that is pilot error for not being prePared for the approach. All pilots have the right to say "unable" to ATC commands. She never did. ATC isn't at fault here, as much as some of you want to blame them. The pilot was not qualified or prepared to deal with the busy Bravo airspace with strong crosswinds on that day ..... and running out of fuel is the most blatant pilot error."

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  52. VFR-only completion certificate and High Performance aircraft endorsement were awarded to pilot.

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  53. Cirrus SR22 GTS G3, N544SR: Fatal accident occurred February 29, 2012 in Melbourne, Florida. The pilot's abrupt maneuver in response to a perceived traffic conflict, which resulted in an accelerated stall and a loss of airplane control at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the air traffic controller's incomplete instructions, which resulted in improper sequencing of traffic landing on the same runway.

    http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2012/12/cirrus-sr22-gts-g3-n544sr-contractor.html

    DĂ©jĂ  vu

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  54. This news story isn't over yet.

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  55. A credible source from the KHOU area has indicated that the fuel tanks were found bone dry.

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  56. Is this type of communication by ATC standard in the USA? Very unprofessional. Here in Australia all ATC are the same, and follow the CORRECT standard of communication. Everything just seemed so casual, rushed and unprofessional in this case.

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  57. It's real easy to talk crap about ATC, a whole lot different if you are in the hot seat. I was not there so don't know exactly what the traffic picture looked like but from the audio, it sounded busy. It is not easy to keep having to change your picture when things get tight. The controllers might not have had the best plan but never forget that the pilot is PIC of his or her aircraft. Nothing the controllers did put the pilot in a position of an accelerated stall. That was all on the pilot. The first rule of airplanes is "Fly the airplane". She forgot that and 3 people paid the price. I am a 27 year controller in a busy approach control and also an instrument rated pilot. ATC is there to help but the pilot is always in charge of the airplane. Never forget that.

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  58. With all due respect, you may want to browse the numerous NTSB fatal reports - 'contributing to the fatal accident was the air traffic controllers failure to provide ___________ (fill in the blank), as required by the Federal Aviation Administration directives'.

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  59. OK, I 100% disagree with everyone that says the plane was out of fuel. If we believe the report that the plane was topped off before departure, then here are the facts: 354 NM between OUN and HOU. The 20 holds 56 usable gallons, The flight began at 1000 and ended at 1309 that is 3.15 hrs, so 56 gallons/3.15 hrs = 17.78 gallons per hour. The worst I have ever seen at full rich in my 20 is 15 GPH. So, maybe one tank was empty, but not both.

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  60. OK, I 100% disagree with everyone that says the plane was out of fuel. If we believe the report that the plane was topped off before departure, then here are the facts: 354 NM between OUN and HOU. The 20 holds 56 usable gallons, The flight began at 1000 and ended at 1309 that is 3.15 hrs, so 56 gallons/3.15 hrs = 17.78 gallons per hour. The worst I have ever seen at full rich in my 20 is 15 GPH. So, maybe one tank was empty, but not both


    Yes, and if had full fuel, plus 3 pax, plus baggage, you would have been overgrossed at departure .... Mr. Cirrus

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  61. This is a perfect example of a chain of events leading up to a crash. Based on public record, the pilot was recently licensed and fairly inexperienced. You could even hear the nervousness in her voice that confirms that she was getting seriously frazzled. As a less experienced pilot, flying into such a congested airport is not the smartest thing one can do - with all due respect. The airliners are all IFR and are spaced out in short succession to land because that's the business side of aviation - this aircraft was VFR and would have to simply "fit" into the stream as best it could - which is obviously the controllers responsibility. The controller had her all over the place and as a low time pilot, one often has the unshakeable desire to please and to try and not make any mistakes. By the sound of things, she did exactly what she was told to do - I recall the controller stating that he was going to "keep her low and turn in tight" just before the crash. Doing tight turns at low speed at low altitude is a disaster waiting to happen. And without enough experience, the pilot simply wouldn't have the nerve to challenge the controller. There were plenty of other runways she could have landed on based on the LDA, traffic, wind and performance of the aircraft. Regardless, it still comes down to PDM and she made bad decisions right from the beginning by deciding to fly to such a busy airport. The controller certainly didn't help things by manoeuvering her around the way he did. It's clear by the video with the shadows on the ground, the angle of impact and the nearly level wings that it was a stall/spin; there was very little forward speed. Whether the engine was running or not is still questionable at this stage - the NTSB is still investigating. What would I take out of this is simple: teach and enforce Pilot Decision Making skills right from the student pilot level - train less experienced pilots to lessen the angle of the learning curve by minimizing multiple, high-level tasks until more experience is gained. Even the controllers could learn something from this too. This is a very tragic and horrible way to learn from the mistakes of others. As a 30+ year medevac helicopter pilot with over 9000 hours, I still take PDM training annually and it's a big part of our culture that I think has to be reinforced right from the first day of flight training.

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  62. I'm just an old Cessna driver (172, 182, 206, 210, 310 (& Seneca just to spice it up)), and former flight instructor. When I first saw the video I thought, "no fire, no fuel". Maybe its just because I'm a big guy (6'6" and 350lbs.), and can rarely fly with full fuel if I have pax or cargo. Declare an emergency due to low fuel, that would have gotten this pilot the sequencing she needed, hopefully. ATC can't help you if you don't tell them you need help...

    RIP and prayer to the family and friends...

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  63. There is no way in hell a low time pilot should be landing at a class B airport like HOU... no way. When you fly into HOU, or ATL, or ORD, or any large and busy airport, you are swimming with the big fish and ATC expects you to be able to execute. It was clear from the tape that ATC knew this pilot lacked experience and they were doing their level best to keep her calm and keep her out of the way of the inbound aircraft. If they were guilty of anything it was trying to squeeze her in between two airliners on the initial approach. Often in situations like this they will ask the pilot to maintain best forward airspeed to maintain separation which is very uncomfortable to any single engine pilot let alone one with limited experience. The men and women that work terminal ops at class B airports are the very best and they are remarkable. I say this based of 46 years and 10,000 flight hours working with them... as a pilot and not as a colleague.

    God bless their souls and their families...

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  64. Control of the aircraft:PIC
    Cause of the accident: PIC

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  65. She should have Never been landing at a Class B airport with so little experience.

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  66. Note: Sugar Land Regional Airport to the hospital is 20 miles

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  67. Very tragic, very heart breaking. However, in this blameless society we are to quick to blame someone else; the controllers, the airplane/engine manufacturer. Unfortunately it was the pilots fault, poor decision making. I've been in Bravo airspace many times where ATC asks me to maintain best forward speed to the numbers.

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  68. So the report is in. Low time pilot unable to remember IMSAFE and the 3P besides a disregard for such basic things as a biannual flight review and while in a fairly recent and loaded 2012 SR20 uninterested in the rating that will save your life ie instruments eating. A PPL is really a license to learn and slightly above a sports pilot license.

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  69. Biannual flight reviews are great! But all is required by the FAR's is a Biennial Flight Review. Common error - even by CFI's LOL

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  70. About the release of balloons, I wish people would think first, my uncle's small plane was brought down when a church released balloons and they entangled in his plane causing him to crash land. He survived however.

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  71. Obviously a combination of events leading to the tragedy, beginning with the pilot's belief she did not need her review, which she obviously did need. As many have pointed out, she was in over her head in this airspace once she did not act on her initial clearance and put it on the runway wherever that may have been from the numbers. As PIC, she needed to assert her authority and she gave that away. Once she decided to not act on her clearance, she should have considered an alternative airport in the area, which would have allowed her to recompose for the landing and get the aircraft trimmed for approach instead of maneuvering over Hobby with heavies all around. It is clear that in the end she was too occupied to keep control of the basics necessary to fly the airplane.

    "Get there itis". There is the problem of pilot and passenger desire to follow through on the initial flight plan even when faced with circumstance that should have warned of danger and to get out of there. Possibly some ego issues. Possibly they had a rental car ready to go and conceptually that became important in the thought process when it should have been a non-item.

    Once PIC was low and slow, while committing to slavishly follow the idiot ATC, either she or one of the passengers should have had a hand on the BRS handle ready to pull at the first sign of stall to eliminate all reaction/response lag. They were not too low for it to have not given them a chance. Maybe not walk away, but maybe live to see another day.

    The other issues with the plane being set up to stall is not just the plane being low and slow but the tail wind and vortices floating all around. Those and an unexplained, temporary reduction in power. Enough blame to go around, but three dead, so blame is secondary. Good comments here on pilot owning the runway once clearance to land is given. Take it and use it unless you, the pilot, decide you can't use it. ATC may be looking at a demerit, but PIC is looking at real consequences. Reminds me of the crash of that 2016 soccer plane (LaMia 2933) where the pilot knew he was critically low on fuel but allowed ATC to vector him around instead of calling an emergency and heading straight for the runway. Bad decisions make bad outcomes.

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  72. And... this is why so many of you people have no credibility. Even when you know you're wrong you don't admit it.

    Anonymous writing on Wednesday February 14, 2018 at 7:22 AM writes:

    "So the report is in. Low time pilot unable to remember IMSAFE and the 3P besides a disregard for such basic things as a biannual flight review and while in a fairly recent and loaded 2012 SR20 uninterested in the rating that will save your life ie instruments eating. A PPL is really a license to learn and slightly above a sports pilot license."
    what is in the report.

    Yes, the report is it. No, it doesn't say those things but I sort-of get the connection between what you are writing and what's in the report. THE THING IS, IN YOUR DESIRE TO BLAME THE PILOT AND BE RIGHT YOU CONSPICUOUSLY OMIT SAFETY-CRITICAL NTSB FINDINGS THAT DON'T FIT WITH YOUR DESIRED NARRATIVE.

    Intellectual dishonesty at its finest.

    The report's probable cause statement clearly includes this: "Contributing to the accident were the initial local controller's decision to keep the pilot in the traffic pattern, and the second local controller's issuance of an unnecessarily complex clearance during a critical phase of flight."

    I find it fascinating that the people who were vindicating the controller were all commercial pilots and the one controller who showed up was critical of the controllers' performance. Commercial pilots need to realize that they share airport and airspace, and that this pilot had every right to be where she was. Part of every controller's job involves recognizing that they are not dealing exclusively with full-time, seasoned pilots, and that they in subtle ways they need to interact differently with different pilots.

    I am not saying the PIC did nothing wrong here. Simply that I agree with the NTSB. This accident's probably cause was the pilot's improper execution of the go-around procedure, and that significant contributing factors were (a) a decision by ATC, (b) ATC's unnecessarily long and complex instruction (NTSB's finding), and (c) the PIC's lack of assertiveness.

    I look forward to the of course not gonna happen slew of "I was wrong" comments from all the people who were certain that the NTSB was going to solely find the pilot at fault. /smh.

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  73. I disagree with the comment above...the buck stops at the PIC. The controllers and the weather and the condition of the plane are always secondary.

    As it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the PIC to make sure it all fits and due diligence is done. Stuff like BEING CURRENT AND LEGALLY ALLOWED TO FLY PAX (She wasn't!) and UNDERSTANDING what a busy class B airspace means in terms of workload i.e never let the plane or circumstances take you where your head hasn't been 5 min before.

    Yes her being not current and out of bi-annual review for a month is "a lapse only a bureaucrat could love" like some magazine puts it... But the reality is all these rules are written in blood and strictly enforced as the side effect of it will be less chances of dying.

    If an airman lets a bi-annual review lapse then what else does it say about their other skills? Being aware and proactive in all the regs is the first sign of a meticulous person who has less chances of dying, than say, Joe sloppy who will not stick his tanks that one time when he has to fly over mountainous terrain and will die on a simple fuel starvation issue.

    All the holes in the cheese start at a point which seems trivial, minor, stupid and avoidable.

    Of course there are outside errors, imperfections and contributing factors... but the probable cause is 99% of it and the rest are minor.

    Lawsuits will be filed of course, the family of the deceased will lament and want some kind of name clearing which is understandable BUT we are all taught as pilots the buck stops with us, regardless of ATC, towers, weather, airworthiness of the plane or how the annual was done.

    We have operational control of the flight and decide to go or not go, divert or assert. And other people entrust their lives with our skills which I hope we all improve every flight.

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