Socata TBM700 N602MA

Summary

On 19 January 2016 at about 18:31 local time, a Socata TBM700 registered N602MA, operated by Premier Furnace Specialists, was involved in an accident near Wichita, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 2016 at 18:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Colonel James Jabara (AAO)

Coordinates

37.7578, -97.2194

Aircraft

Socata TBM700

Registration

N602MA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Premier Furnace Specialists

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clarinda → Wichita

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA093

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain the minimum-recommended approach airspeed in icing conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting an instrument flight rules business flight to an uncontrolled airport with forecast and reported moderate icing conditions. The pilot reported that he activated the deice systems and then executed an instrument landing system approach to the airport with the autopilot connected. While descending through about 1,200 ft above ground level, the pilot extended the landing gear and lowered the flaps to the takeoff setting and subsequently noticed the airplane shudder. Flight data from the airplane's avionics display revealed that the pilot continued the approach, and while on short final, he retarded the throttle toward idle and then disconnected the autopilot. While approaching the runway threshold, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease below the Pilot's Operating Handbook's (POH) minimum-recommended approach speed for icing conditions. The airplane's descent rate then increased, and the airplane banked left. The pilot subsequently applied full throttle, and the airplane impacted the ground 1,463 ft short of the runway threshold, skidded 460 ft, hit a hole, and nosed over. At the accident site, significant ice accumulation was noted on both of the wings and the stabilizer, including ice buildup aft of the deice boots. Weather data indicated that the flight encountered areas of freezing drizzle and supercooled liquid water. Given this evidence, the airplane likely encountered severe (rather than the forecast moderate) in-flight icing conditions during the approach that exceeded the airplane's anti-ice systems' capabilities and led to the pilot's loss of airplane control. Given the icing conditions, the pilot should have maintained the POH's minimum-recommended approach speed for icing conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.