N120HS – Cessna (Textron Aviation) U206G – 2006-04-21 NTSB Accident Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 20, 2006, about 2345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna U206G, N120HS, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain while on approach to runway 35 at the Monroe County Airport (BMG), near Bloomington, Indiana. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was on file and was activated. The pilot and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Purdue University Airport (LAF), near Lafayette, Indiana, about 2245.

The person representing N120HS contacted the Terre Haute, Indiana, federal contract facility automated flight service station (AFSS) to get a weather briefing about 2213. The AFSS briefer at position "PF-3" gave the following brief, in part, to the pilot:

2213:25 PF-3 terre haute flight service

2213:27 N120HS hi i'd like to get a weather briefing

2213:29 PF-3 yes ma'am

2213:30 N120HS um lafayette lima alpha foxtrot and

bloomington bravo mike golf and any interesting

weather that might be between them

2213:39 PF-3 okay uh what's the aircraft call sign you're using

2213:42 N120HS november one two zero hotel sierra

2213:45 PF-3 and what time are you leaving lafayette

2213:47 N120HS we will probably be leaving in about

twenty minutes to half an hour

2213:58 PF-3 okay and is this a v f r flight or i f r

2214:02 N120HS for v f r

2214:03 PF-3 v f r only

2214:05 N120HS *(ho ho) wait i'm sorry go ahead

2214:08 PF-3 is that v f r only

2214:10 N120HS yes yes sir well depending on what the

weather's like

2214:13 PF-3 okay well we do have an airmet for i f r for the

southern portion of indiana now

0214:18 N120HS okay

0214:19 PF-3 and they're saying that that may continue the rest

of the evening into early tomorrow morning and

2214:23 N120HS okay

2214:23 PF-3 looking at the bloomington weather they do

have i f r ceilings eight hundred broken right

now with visibility eight miles

2214:30 N120HS *(okay)

2214:30 PF-3 so i wouldn't recommend v f r

2214:32 N120HS okay well

2214:33 PF-3 uh

2214:33 N120HS definitely not i'm sorry i got i looked at

the *(tafs they) didn't predict that okay

can i file an i f r flight plan with you

2214:39 PF-3 sure would you like me to continue with the rest

of the weather and and all that

2214:42 N120HS yeah that would that would be great

2214:44 PF-3 okay uh that's the only airmet uh going down that

way for you uh looks like a low pressure system

we've got uh one in western kentucky tennessee

another one's up around the chicago area *(it's a)

stationary front running from that one across

northern indiana and ohio and then uh high pressure

over to our east precip uh nothing really along that

route there is some in southeastern indiana but it

shouldn't affect your flight at all

2215:08 N120HS *(okay)

2215:08 PF-3 at lafayette uh the winds are two eighty at four ten

miles skies clear below twelve thousand sixteen and

seven and two nine nine one that's an automated

report en route looking at a few clouds at thirteen

thousand with niner miles and then again in the

bloomington area winds two forty at three eight miles

ceiling eight hundred broken seventeen and sixteen

and two nine nine four that's also an automated report

at bloomington and i don't see any uh pilot reports right

now along that route for you the forecast lafayette was

saying the rest of the evening a few clouds at six

thousand winds three ten at five en route uh calling for

*(uh) it looks like three thousand scattered six to ten

thousand broken to overcast they were saying

occasional showers in central indiana til zero three

hundred though there's nothing really showing

except for a little northeast of indy and then uh

for the bloomington area uh six hundred broken five

thousand overcast visibility better than six winds

one sixty at four now they were saying within an

hour you might see six hundred scattered five in

mist around bloomington four hun four thousand

broken and winds one fifty at four but the airmet

was calling for i f r to continue the rest of the night

into early tomorrow

2216:26 N120HS boy am i glad i called you wow

2216:27 PF-3 and

2216:28 N120HS okay

2216:28 PF-3 and then winds aloft uh would you like three and six for those

2216:32 N120HS um just three please

2216:33 PF-3 three thousand you're looking at light and variable

winds at three thousand

2216:37 N120HS okay great

2216:38 PF-3 and notams uh lafayette r c o one two two three

five is out of service

2216:44 PF-3 and uh it says the class d surface area and uh

tower only available through zero one hundred daily

down at Bloomington uh showing tower and class d

surface area available through zero one thirty daily and

three five pilot controlled lighting is out of service at

bloomington indiana and otherwise en route i don't see

anything else en route for you notam d wise as far as

t f rs no unpublished t f rs along that route at this time

2217:15 N120HS *(great)

2217:15 PF-3 *(we'd) appreciate uh pilot reports flight watch is shut down for

the evening but any any flight service frequencies along the route

for you would you like to go ahead and file then

2217:24 N120HS yes sir

2217:25 PF-3 okay i'm ready to copy

2217:26 N120HS (unintelligible) november one two zero

hotel sierra it's a cessna two oh six slash alpha airspeed a

hundred and a hundred and thirty knots flying at three

thousand feet departing lafayette lima alpha foxtrot

lafayette direct bloomington indiana bravo mike golf

five on board three hours of fuel the aircraft is based in

south bend pilots name ... and aircraft is red white and blue

2218:12 PF-3 (unintelligible) uh what's your time en route from

lafayette to bloomington

2218:15 N120HS time on route forty minutes

2218:19 PF-3 and you say you're leaving in just a few minutes

i put that out for zero two thirty that's on the half hour

2218:23 N120HS *(perfect)

The transcript of the weather briefing showed that the pilot did not give an alternate airport to the briefer when the flight plan was filed. The briefer did not ask for an alternate airport and was not required to ask for one.

About 2319, the pilot checked on with the Air Route Traffic Control Center controller working the Shelbyville, Indiana, sector (SHB R). The transcript of their transmissions, in part, stated:

2319:57 N120HS indy center november one two zero hotel

sierra is with you at five thousand

2320:01 SHB R november one two zero hotel sierra

indianapolis center roger how do you

hear center

2320:04 N120HS ah loud and clear

2320:05 SHB R okay and ah what type of approach are

you going to shoot into bloomington

this morning or this evening

2320:11 N120HS we'd like to go for a runway three five

six ah i l s

2320:14 SHB R i l s three five okay you can expect that

ah one two zero hotel sierra do you have

the ah asos weather

2320:19 N120HS yes sir

2320:20 SHB R all right

2323:11 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra you're one

two miles north of bloomington cross

bloomington at or above two thousand six

hundred cleared for the i l s runway three

five approach report procedure turn inbound

2323:23 N120HS oh any way we can have vectors to the---ah

final course

2323:26 SHB R not a problem at all ma'am what's your heading

2323:30 N120HS one seven zero

2323:32 SHB R okay turn ah right heading of ah one nine

zero it'll be a vector for a left down wind

entry for i l s three five straight in

2323:39 N120HS one niner zero for a---right down wind

entry ah for three five zero hotel sierra

2323:43 SHB R yes ma'am and maintain five thousand

2323:46 N120HS maintain five thousand

2328:35 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel turn left heading

one eight zero

2328:39 N120HS left heading one eight zero

...

2333:03 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra descend

at pilot's discretion maintain four thousand

2333:08 N120HS descend and maintain four thousand for zero

hotel sierra

2333:13 SHB R i am going to take you about two miles

outside of claye if that's okay with you

ma'am

2333: 18 N120HS that's great

2333:50 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra turn left

heading zero eight zero

2333:53 N120HS left heading zero eight zero

2334:36 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra three and

a half miles south of claye turn left heading

zero two zero maintain two thousand six

hundred until established on the localizer

you're cleared straight in i l s runway three

five approach

2334:48 N120HS turn left heading zero two zero---cleared for

the approach maintain twenty six hundred

til ah established zero hotel sierra

2336:15 SHB R cessna one two zero hotel sierra see you

joining up on the localizer now radar

service is terminated change to advisory

tower frequency of one two eight point zero

two is approved---and i'll need you to

cancel---with ah terre haute tower on that

frequency one two eight point zero two

they monitor that frequency and they'll

relay for ya

2336:35 N120HS radar service terminated and cancel with

terre haute on one two eight point zero

two thanks (unintelligible) zero hotel

sierra

2336:40 SHB R and you can change to that frequency

now you have a good night

2336:43 N120HS thanks

A Continuous Data Recording (CDR) airplane radar track data file was obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in reference to the accident flight. The airplane's radar returns along with their respective altitudes and times were plotted. The plotted data was consistent with an airplane that was being vectored for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway (rwy) 35. The plot showed the airplane at about 5,000 feet on a downwind. At 2334:30, the return showed the airplane was about 4,500 feet on base about ten miles from the approach end of runway 35. The airplane's return at 2337 was right of and approaching the outer marker CLAYE at an altitude of 3,300 feet. About 2337, the pilot made an advisory radio call on the Hulman Approach control frequency for BMG (128.025) that the flight was six miles south of BMG and inbound for runway 35. The last plotted return showed the airplane at 2,000 feet at 2338:34 about two and a half miles from the approach end of runway 35. About 2343, the controller from the Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field air traffic control tower, near Terre Haute, Indiana, who was working the approach frequency, advised the flight that the BMG common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) was 120.77 and the flight responded with "Thank you sir." No further communication was recorded with the accident flight. That plotted chart is appended to the docket material associated with this case.

About 2345, the Monroe County Sheriff responded to telephone calls of a possible airplane crash. About 0400, the wreckage was located in a wooded area about one-half mile from the approach end of runway 35.

Witnesses in the area stated that they were awakened by a low flying aircraft. A witness said that the airplane noise was like a roar. Another described it as an engine acceleration. A thud was heard and no more engine sounds were heard.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The airplane operator reported that the pilot had completed a flight review or equivalent on July 3, 2005. It was further reported that the pilot had accumulated 379.1 hours of total flight time, 24.5 hours of actual instrument time, 51.1 hours of simulated instrument time, 30.4 hours of total flight time in the previous 90 days, 18.0 hours of total flight time in the previous 30 days, and 1.8 hours of total flight time in the previous 24 hours.

She held a FAA third-class medical certificate issued on August 19, 2003, with a limitation for corrective lenses.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N120HS, a Cessna U206G, Stationair 6, serial number U20604728, was a six-place, single engine, high-wing, all-metal airplane of semimonocoque construction. The wings were externally braced and each wing contained a standard integral 46-gallon fuel tank. The airplane was powered by a six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air cooled, fuel injected, marked as a Continental IO-520-F (17) engine, with serial number 812264-R. The engine was rated at 300 horsepower for five minutes and 285 horsepower continuously. Maintenance records showed that the airplane's propeller was a three-bladed McCauley D3A34C404B model, hub serial number 785309. The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate and was certified for normal category operations.

Maintenance records show that the last annual inspection was performed on June 7, 2005, and that the airplane had accumulated 2,125.7 hours at the time of that inspection. An entry in the records showed that the static system was inspected in accordance with Part 91.411 and 91.413 requirements on May 19, 2005.

The airplane was equipped with a J.P. Instruments Engine Data Management (EDM) 700 system. According to manufacturer's data, the EDM will monitor up to twenty-four critical parameters in your engine, four times a second, with a linearized thermocouple accuracy of better than 0.1 percent or 2 degrees F, has a user selectable index rate, fast response probes, non-volatile long term memory, records and stores data up to 30 hours, and has post-flight data retrieval capabilities.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 2340, the recorded weather at BMG was: Wind 230 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 1 statute mile; present weather mist; sky condition overcast 100 feet; temperature 17 degrees C; dew point 16 degrees C; altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

There were eight non-precision instrument approaches and one precision approach available at the airport.

The published inbound course for BMG's ILS RWY 35 approach was 354 degrees magnetic, with the published decision height (DH) of 1,045 feet msl. The crossing altitude for the final approach fix (CLAYE) was 2,533 feet msl. The distance between CLAYE and the missed approach point was 5.1 nautical miles (nm). The airport elevation was 846 feet msl.

The published weather minimums for the ILS RWY 35 approach were a 200-foot ceiling and one-half mile visibility for category A, B, C, and D aircraft.

On April 21, 2006 the FAA conducted a post aircraft accident technical inspection and found the ILS system was operating normally.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

BMG had two asphalt-surfaced runways, 17/35 and 6/24. Runway 17/35 was 6,500 feet long and 150 feet wide. Runway 35 was equipped with a medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights (MALSR) and high intensity runway lights (HIRL). Runways 6,17, and 24 were equipped with visual approach slope indicators (VASI) located on the left side of their respective runways.

The airport was serviced by an Air Traffic Control tower. The tower was attended from 0630 - 2130 local. After hour local traffic communications were accomplished via the published airport CTAF 120.775 megahertz (MHz). The tower did not record the CTAF transmissions made after hours. Indianapolis Approach provided approach/departure control services for the airport.

The pilot controlled lighting function of the approach lights was not operative. The approach lights were turned on before the tower was closed.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane came to rest inverted on an approximate 180 degree magnetic heading. Broken and linearly separated tree branches were observed. A tree on a 230 degree magnetic heading from the wreckage and about 6 feet from the wreckage contained embedded aluminum colored metal consistent with the nose wheel rim. The engine was found about three feet below the surface. The propeller hub remained attached to the engine crankshaft propeller flange. The propeller blades separated from their hub. One blade exhibited forward bending and leading edge deformation. All of the blades exhibited chordwise abrasion. The wings were detached from the fuselage. The outboard section of the left wing had separated from the inboard section. The rudder was detached from the empennage and its control cables remained attached.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted. Flight control cables were traced. All breaks in cables were consistent with overload. Flight control continuity was established from the cabin area to all flight control surfaces. The engine's control cables were traced from the cabin to the engine and engine control continuity was established. A blue liquid consistent with 100 low lead aviation gasoline was observed in the left tank.

The wreckage was relocated for a detailed examination and wreckage layout. The right engine driven vacuum pump was separated from the accessory case. The pump's drive coupler was not recovered. The right vacuum pump was rotated by hand and an inspection revealed that its rotor and vanes were intact. The left pump was attached to the accessory case. The pump was crushed and an inspection revealed its rotor was fragmented. The sparkplugs were removed and no anomalies were detected. The engine was rotated by hand and a thumb compression was observed at all cylinders. The right magneto was crushed, deformed, and did not produce any spark when rotated by hand. The left magneto produced spark at all leads when rotated by hand. The engine driven fuel pump's coupler was intact. A blue liquid consistent with 100 low lead aviation gasoline was found in the fuel line from the engine driven fuel pump to the manifold valve. The attitude indicator and horizontal situation indicator rotors exhibited rotational scoring. The rotor housings exhibited witness marks consistent with contact with their rotors. The altimeter's Kollsman window indicated 29.91. The airplane's engine monitor was crushed. The on-scene investigation did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Monroe County Coroner's Office on April 22, 2006.

The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The report was negative for the tests performed.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The engine monitor was examined at its manufacturer. The unit and its circuit board were crushed. The data memory chip was removed from its circuit board and installed on a serviceable circuit board. The accident flight's data was downloaded. The downloaded data was graphed. The end of the graph showed a reduction in fuel flow consistent with a descent followed by an increase in fuel flow consistent with a full power setting and the data stopped at that point. The graph of the engine monitor's data is appended to the docket material associated with this investigation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Federal Aviation Regulation Part 91.169 IFR flight plan: information required, in part, stated:

(a) Information required. Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, each

person filing an IFR flight plan shall include in it the following

information:

(1) Information required under Sec. 91.153(a).

(2) An alternate airport, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this

section.

(b) Exceptions to applicability of paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if part 97 of this chapter

prescribes a standard instrument approach procedure for the first

airport of intended landing and, for at least 1 hour before and 1 hour

after the estimated time of arrival, the weather reports or forecasts, or

any combination of them indicate--

(1) The ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation;

and

(2) The visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.

(c) IFR alternate airport weather minimums. Unless otherwise

authorized by the Administrator, no person may include an alternate

airport in an IFR flight plan unless current weather forecasts indicate

that, at the estimated time of arrival at the alternate airport, the ceiling

and visibility at that airport will be at or above the following alternate

airport weather minimums:

(1) If an instrument approach procedure has been published in part 97 of

this chapter for that airport, the alternate airport minimums specified in

that procedure or, if none are so specified, the following minimums:

(i) Precision approach procedure: Ceiling 600 feet and visibility 2 statute

miles.

(ii) Nonprecision approach procedure: Ceiling 800 feet and visibility 2

statute miles.

(2) If no instrument approach procedure has been published in part 97 of

this chapter for that airport, the ceiling and visibility minimums are those

allowing descent from the MEA, approach, and landing under basic VFR.

The operator's safety recommendation, in part stated:

Even if a tower is closed, as it was in this case, there should be an

automatic recording of all pilot transmissions on the common

frequency. Such a recording would make available vital information

in the case of a fatal accident [for example] did the pilot make a

distress call? Does the pilot's voice indicate that they are under

duress? Was it the pilot's intention to do a missed approach? Was

there anything that may have interfered with the pilot's conduct of

the flight? Did the pilot make any announcement indicating what

problem they were facing? Was there any other aircraft in the

immediate vicinity?

The parties to the investigation included the FAA, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Teledyne Continental Motors.

The aircraft wreckage was released to a representative of the insurance company.