Beechcraft B35-C33A N7968M

Summary

On 10 April 1990 at about 19:10 local time, a Beechcraft B35-C33A registered N7968M was involved in an accident near Le Compte, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 April 1990 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Le Compte, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

31.0793, -92.3900

Aircraft

Beechcraft B35-C33A

Registration

N7968M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Addison → Sarasota

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW90FA094

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUATION OF VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEF AND HIS INADEQUATE EVALUTION OF EXISTING WEATHER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEF. HE DEPARTED UNDER VMC BUT ENCOUNTERED, AND WAS IN THE VICINITY OF AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, INTENSE LEVEL 5 THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS CONTAINED HEAVY RAIN AND MODERATE TO SEVERE, AND POSSIBLY EXTREME, TURBULENCE. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED IN CLOUDS LAYERED TO ABOUT 10,000 FEET. EXISTING WEATHER FORECASTS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT AND THERE WAS ADEQUATE WARNING OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. IMPACT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES NOSE DOWN IN A MUDDY FIELD. THE ENGINE WAS RECOVERED FROM A CRATER 20 FEET DEEP. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE IN OR AROUND THE IMPACT CRATER. THE PILOT HAD DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE FOR TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD JURY DUTY IN THE VICINITY OF HIS DESTINATION ON THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.