Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, Texas
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Martinaire Aviation; Addison, Texas
Transportation Safety Board of Canada; Ottawa, Ontario
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/N4602B
Location: Victoria, TX
Accident Number: CEN20FA032
Date & Time: 12/09/2019, 2017 CST
Registration: N4602B
Aircraft: Cessna 208
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Non-scheduled
On December 9, 2019, about 2017 central standard time, a Cessna 208B airplane, N4602B, impacted terrain during initial climb near Victoria, Texas. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Martinaire Aviation LLC under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a cargo flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instrument rules (IFR) flight, which departed about 2004 from Victoria Regional Airport (VCT), Victoria, Texas, with an intended destination of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas.
After departing VCT from Runway 13L, air traffic control (ATC) directed the pilot to climb and maintain 3,000 ft mean sea level (msl). After climbing through 1,900 ft msl, the airplane began a series of fifteen course reversals, which continued throughout the remainder of the flight. The course reversals alternated between right and left turns, each with more than 90 degrees of heading change. ATC queried the pilot several times concerning the airplane's erratic course. At 2008 and 2011, the pilot stated that he had "some instrument problem" and after a suggestion by ATC, the pilot agreed to return to VCT. As the airplane continued to make turns, a rapid descent occurred, and radar contact was lost.
The airplane impacted a rural area at a near vertical attitude, with the propeller hub buried about 5 ft deep into clay soil. The airplane was highly fragmented, with remnants of the fuel tank and engine tubing located 225 ft from the main wreckage. All primary and secondary flight controls were accounted for. The airplane was retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N4602B
Model/Series: 208 B
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Martinaire Aviation
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135)
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KVCT, 115 ft msl
Observation Time: 2034 CST
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 23°C / 20°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 1500 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 160°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 4800 ft agl
Visibility: 6 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.84 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Victoria, TX (VCT)
Destination: Houston, TX (IAH)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion:None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 28.852500, -96.918611 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Yutae Kim, 61, of Arlington, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by Justice of the Peace John Miller, said Sgt. Ruben San Miguel, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
An autopsy has been requested.
Kim, who was the only occupant of the airplane, was carrying UPS cargo for Martinaire Aviation, a Dallas-based carrier, at the time of the crash, San Miguel said.
A Martinaire Aviation representative declined to comment Tuesday.
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, Kim possessed certificates for airline transport, flight instruction and ground instruction.
Minutes after taking off from the Victoria Regional Airport, Kim’s airplane crashed at 8:17 p.m. into a clearing on private property near Benbow Road north of Inez.
Tuesday morning, National Transportation and Safety Board investigators were at the scene of the crash, he said.
An NTSB spokesman said preliminary findings into the crash would probably be available after 10 days.
A full report with safety recommendations will likely not be published until after a year or two.
Nevertheless, some information about the airplane’s last moments is already available.
Kim’s Cessna Caravan was called back to the Victoria airport after taking off at 8:02 p.m., San Miguel said. Bound for Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport, Kim was expected to land at 8:50 p.m., according to flight records.
Several minutes into the flight, Kim’s course became erratic and his airplane began changing direction wildly at about an altitude of 2,000 feet, said Robert Katz, a Dallas commercial pilot and certified flight instructor with 38 years flying experience.
At about an altitude of 4,000 feet the airplane began descending and crashed.
“That is very scary,” he said. “Two thousand feet is very low.”
Katz said he based that assessment on flight data measured by radar.
“Airplanes fly pretty much in straight lines. They don’t zigzag all over the place like this,” Katz said.Comparing Kim’s Cessna Caravan to a delivery truck, Katz described that kind of aircraft as “very popular and reliable.”
In fact, he said, that kind of Cessna features a belly cargo bay and side fuselage door for easily loading items.
He guessed the crash was caused by a malfunctioning aileron, a control surface on its wing used to steer the airplane.
That problem could have been caused by a maintenance oversight or an unavoidable mechanical failure, he said. “It’s premature to point any fingers at this point,” he said.
Original article ➤ https://www.victoriaadvocate.com
The pilot of a small cargo plane carrying packages for UPS was killed in a crash Monday, according to the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office.
According to preliminary information, 61-year-old Yutae Kim was the only person on board at the time of the crash just north of Benbow Road, which is roughly 9 miles from the Victoria Regional Airport.
Officials said the plane took off from Victoria and was heading to Bush Intercontinental Airport.
According to Federal Aviation Administration officials, the plane took off at 8:02 p.m. and air traffic controllers lost radar and radio contact with the single-engine Cessna 208 around 8:16 p.m. The wreckage was found in a field about four miles north of Victoria.
UPS released the following statement about the crash on Tuesday morning:
Shortly after 8 p.m. CST, Martinaire flight MRA 679, a Cessna 208 small feeder aircraft operating from Victoria, Texas, to Houston, Texas, was involved in an accident. One crewmember was onboard. While the accident did not involve a UPS aircraft or employees, the flight was contracted to carry UPS packages from the Victoria area.
First responders arrived at the scene and authorities asked people to avoid the area.
Anyone who saw or heard anything is asked to call Sheriff’s Office at 361-575-0651 and provide their name, address and telephone number to be contacted by investigating agencies.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Transportation Safety Board have been summoned to investigate the crash.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.khou.com
"He guessed the crash was caused by a malfunctioning aileron, a control surface on its wing used to steer the airplane"?......umm don't think so, this flight instructors name
ReplyDeletemust be in the logbook.
Ailerons control the rotation along the longitudinal axis. If anything the plane would start to quickly spin if there would be such a malfunction.
ReplyDeleteRIP. older planes have their set of problems and some issues will only be found decades after and with a price in blood. Like some older heli that had their blades simply separate after tens of thousands of hours of operations.
Looking at radar tracks for previous flights of the aircraft that crashed, they look pretty routine. Takeoff, contact center, a few turns, standard rate climbs and descents, normal IFR stuff... The flight track of the aircraft that didn't make appears to be all over the place. It's never high enough for ADSB to receive it. I radar coverage is very good below 2,000. So much info is estimated that nothing about the track, airspeed, or altitude is a sure thing.
ReplyDeleteThe "instructor" was in the newspaper, maybe on TV. Goal reached...
RIP to the pilot and condolences to his family.
Saw the flight track over at a freight dog forum and it was pretty rough to look at. I was wondering if pilot didn't have a medical problem after take off and the plane was just doing its own thing. Hopefully the investigators will be able to sort this one out.
ReplyDeleteJust to tack on, I was remembering awhile back a Fedex caravan stopping at the hold short/runup area at a towered airport and sitting there not responding for some time. Turned out dry ice was loaded directly behind the pilot and knocked the poor guy right out. Luckily it was on the ground and people noticed and came to the rescue.
ReplyDeletethe dry ice incident was a while back all right, in the 80's at the beginning of the overnight freight business. Also it was a Lear Jet at Memphis in line for the early morning departures. Fedex is very careful about not loading any more than 200 lbs of dry ice in the cabin. likely all the freight operators have their limits of dry ice in specific models.
ReplyDeleteNot seen a picture of the debris.. But when a plane loses control and the pilot can’t control it like any other normal operation day it gets really serious and sweaty. Even if the pilot is experienced he would still panic.. In this case his plane was not functioning normal and it was night operation which means looking for a field to glide is also twice difficult...his plane was all over the place and he tried returning back to Victoria yet again he had turned back which means his ailerons where not functioning as it should .. He was 9 miles within the airport he could have glided to the runway.. But his Cessna was not allowing him to, He gained altitude and then suddenly lost altitude, his speed was okay ..He had made a crash landing but the plane did not catch fire which means he had his emergency procedures done good. He is 61 years old could have died on impact of the accident..Anyway flying machines are not always reliable it is we who should take responsibility and avoid flying airplanes which malfunction often. RIP CAPT. You lived it up.
ReplyDeleteFinal NTSB report on this is out: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100672/pdf
ReplyDelete