N405PC

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 2, 2001, at 1629 central daylight time, a Cessna 501, N405PC, operated by an airline transport pilot was destroyed when maneuvering on initial climb after takeoff, it impacted into the southwest wall of the Morning Glory Dairy cold storage facility in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. A post impact explosion and fire ensued. The cold storage facility was destroyed and an adjacent dairy production plant sustained minor damage. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The ferry flight was being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was fatally injured. Seven employees in the Morning Glory Dairy cold storage facility were injured. Four of the employees sustained minor injuries. Three of the employees sustained serious injuries from burns. The cross-country flight originated at the Austin-Straubel International Airport (GRB), Green Bay, Wisconsin, at 1627, and was en route to Ft. Myers, Florida.

At 1615:17, the pilot contacted GRB air traffic control tower (ATCT) and requested clearance to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Ft. Myers, Florida. The ground controller (GC) told the pilot, he was cleared to RSW as filed, climb and maintain 3,000 feet mean sea level (msl), expect flight level 370, one-zero minutes after takeoff, departure frequency 119.4 Megahertz, and transponder code 2673. The pilot read back the clearance, "four zero five papa charlie cleared as filed three thousand three seven zero in ten one nineteen four two six seven three."

At 1623:41, the pilot told the GRB ATCT GC, "and ground citation four zero five papa charlie with ah [ATIS (automatic terminal information service) information] whiskey ready to taxi, like [runway] one eight (8,200 feet by 150 feet, wet concrete) if we could." The GC told the pilot to taxi to runway 18.

At 1626:47 the pilot told the GRB ATCT local controller (LC) that he was ready to takeoff on runway 18. The LC told the pilot, "citation four zero five papa charlie green bay tower runway one eight proceed on course cleared for takeoff".

At 1627:33, GRB radar, located on the airport, showed the airplane began to accelerate down runway 18.

At 1628:17 the LC told the pilot, "citation five papa charlie contact departure have a good day." The pilot responded, "ah papa charlie we have a little problem here we're going to have to come back."

In his written statement, the LC said that the airplane was out of his sight when he told the pilot to contact departure control.

At 1628:27, the LC asked the pilot, "roger and what approach would you like?" The pilot responded, "like to keep the vis."

At 1628:35, the LC asked the pilot, "like the contact approach that what you're saying?" There was no response from the pilot.

The LC said, "I then saw a radar return on the brite scope southeast of the airport."

At 1628:42, GRB radar showed the airplane in a left turn heading 135 degrees, at an altitude of 1,055 feet mean sea level (msl), (approximately 360 feet above ground level - agl) and an airspeed of 182 knots. The airplane was approximately 1 mile south of the airport.

At 1628:46, GRB radar showed the airplane on a heading of 113 degrees, at an altitude of 955 feet msl, (approximately 260 feet agl) and at an airspeed of 193 knots.

At 1628:50, GRB radar showed the airplane on a heading of 091 degrees, at an altitude of 855 feet msl, (approximately 160 feet agl) and at an airspeed of 206 knots. Radar contact with the airplane was lost at 1628:55.

At 1628:53, the LC transmitted, "zero papa charlie you still have the airport in sight?"

At 1629:18, the LC transmitted, "citation zero papa charlie can you hear?"

A witness to the accident said she was traveling east on Main Street toward the Morning Glory Dairy. "It was snowing moderately at that time. The road was wet but not slippery. Crossing the intersection of Morning Glory Rd. & Main St., I noted a white private jet flying from the south. It was flying at approximately a 75-80 degree angle perpendicular to the ground with its left wing down & teetering slightly. I first noticed the plane as it approached Main Street flying at that angle just south of & between Fitzgerald's and the Hilltop Auto Repair shops. It then crossed Main Street with the lower wing tip approximately 20 to 30 feet above the power wires. The plane became more perpendicular to the ground at a 90 degree angle with the left wing down & lost altitude crashing into the Morning Glory Dairy warehouse building."

Several other witnesses also saw the airplane prior to the accident. One witness at a lumber yard northwest of the crash site saw the airplane approach from the south. This witness reported, "The plane was very low and banked steeply to the left."

One witness at a truck company on Main Street said he saw the airplane come around the back of a building about 100 feet off the ground. This witness reported, "The plane was sideways about 50 yards away from our van bodies in the back. The plane was going at a good rate of speed. Then we heard it hit the building across the street." Another witness at the same location said he heard a loud bottle rocket-type sound. He looked up in the sky and saw "a white Lear jet." The witness said the airplane was "tilted almost 90 degrees." The witness said he saw the airplane crash into the side of the dairy. He said he felt and saw the explosion and immediately saw lots of smoke.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was privately owned and operated for business and pleasure. Fixed base operator (FBO) repair station records indicated the airplane had 5,856.8 hours total airframe time. The airplane's owner said that he last flew the airplane from Springfield, Illinois, to GRB, in March 2001 (the owner's son confirmed the date of the flight as March 14, 2001). The owner said he filed his flight plan expecting to fly the ILS approach into the airport. At the time he filed his flight plan, the weather at GRB was a 200-foot ceiling and 1/2 mile visibility. He said that the weather at GRB was better when he arrived so he didn't fly the complete approach. The owner said that he brought the airplane to GRB to have routine inspections performed and to have some discrepancies fixed. The owner said that a body fuel tank installed several months earlier was experiencing an intermittent fuel leak and there was a problem with the autopilot. In altitude hold mode, the autopilot would porpoise the airplane.

According to repair station mechanics and repair facility work orders, phase 1, 2, 3, 4, and 48 inspections were performed on the airplane between March 14 and March 28. One mechanic said they corrected several discrepancies that were identified to them. This mechanic said, "There was an autopilot pitch up problem." He said the autopilot pitch drive, vertical gyro, and autopilot computer were removed and sent to an avionics repair facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, to be inspected and if necessary, overhauled. Avionics repair facility records showed that the vertical gyro rotor was failing. The defective parts were replaced and the gyro was calibrated, inspected, and returned. The mechanic said that when they got the units back, they reinstalled them in the airplane. The mechanic said they ran the airplane's systems up and checked them. He recalled checking the autopilot system twice. All of the systems functioned normally.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a multiengine land rating and Cessna 500 type rating, and with commercial privileges for single engine land and sea airplanes, issued on November 6, 1992. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aeromedical records, the pilot reported having 4,500 total flying hours at his most recent physical examination on September 22, 2000. The pilot also reported having flown 150 hours in the 6 months prior to the examination.

An examination of copies of the pilot's logbook showed the pilot had 4,547.8 total flying hours. The logbook record showed the pilot had 3,567.2 hours as pilot in command, 244.6 hours in a Cessna 501, and 205.8 hours as pilot in command in a Cessna 501. The pilot completed a Cessna 550 simulator checkride on April 26, 2000. The logbook record also showed the pilot completed Cessna 650 recurrency training on February 27, 2001.

The pilot held a second class medical certificate with limitations, "Must have glasses available, available for near vision", dated September 22, 2000.

According to the pilot's wife, she and her husband left their home in Key West, Florida, on the morning of the accident at approximately 0700 eastern daylight time to go to the airport. They flew 170 miles from Key West to Fort Myers. The pilot's wife said that the fixed base operator gave the pilot a ride to the terminal. The pilot's wife said that the pilot was in good health. She said he did not use drugs, did not smoke or drink alcohol, had no trouble sleeping, and had no money problems.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 1556, GRB weather was reported as ceilings of 600 feet broken, 1,200 feet overcast, visibility 3/4 statute miles with light snow and mist, temperature 34 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 32 degrees F, winds 160 degrees at 5 knots, and altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of Mercury (Hg).

At 1638, GRB weather was reported as ceilings of 200 feet broken, 800 feet overcast, visibility 1/2 statute mile with snow and fog, temperature 32 degrees F, dew point 32 degrees F, winds 120 degrees at 3 knots, and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches Hg.

A review of security camera videotape taken from a lumberyard located approximately 720 feet west-northwest of the Morning Glory Dairy cold storage facility showed poor weather conditions prevailed within an hour of, and through the time of the accident. The ...