Weather (Other) · NTSB CEN18FA143
BEECH G33 — Warsaw, OH
| Date | April 16, 2018 |
| Location | Warsaw, OH |
| Aircraft | BEECH G33 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute-cruise Other weather encounter |
| Pilot age | 67 |
| Pilot total time | 2,300 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 500 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Conducive to structural icing-Effect on equipment - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Attain/maintain not possible - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - F
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-Conducive to structural icing-Awareness of condition - F
What happened
The commercial pilot departed on an instrument flight rules cross-country flight in the single-engine airplane that was not certificated for flight in icing conditions. During cruise flight at 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane was accumulating airframe icing and requested and was cleared to descend to 3,000 ft msl. As the airplane descended, the pilot indicated to the controller that the airplane had descended below the clouds, was in temperatures greater than 32°F, and that the airframe icing was "clearing up"; however, the airplane continued to descend and subsequently impacted terrain. First responders discovered pieces of ice at the accident site that displayed a curvature consistent with the leading edge of a wing or horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
There was no evidence that the pilot received an official weather briefing before the flight, which would have indicated the potential for moderate or greater icing conditions between 3,000 and 15,000 ft msl. It could not be determined if the pilot received any weather information from other sources. Review of additional weather information indicated the possibility of supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing in the area of the accident site about the time of the accident.
It is likely that the structural icing accumulated during the flight resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain airspeed and/or altitude, leading to a loss of control.