Cessna 340

The pilot was conducting the localizer approach to runway 15 when the aircraft overran the runway and struck an obstacle. According to the pilot, a loss of power occurred in both engines as he attempted to do a missed approach, and the airspeed subsequently decreased from 105 to 80 knots. The pilot reported that he pushed the nose over to avoid a stall, broke out of the clouds over the mid-point of the runway, landed long and continued off the end of the runway into terrain and a tower structure. A witness reported the 'aircraft broke out of the clouds just above the trees north of runway 5 and west of runway 15. Reportedly, the aircraft as being banked from a right to left to get aligned with runway 5, flaps appeared to be up, and the gear was down. The witness said the engines sounded to be at idle and at high rpm, and the aircraft appeared to be 50 feet above the ground at midfield when it went out of sight behind hangar.' The weather observed at the time of the accident was in part: ceiling 100 feet overcast, visibility 0.5 mile with fog and rain. The published landing minimums for the approach was ceiling 400 feet and visibility 0.75 mile. Recorded radar data of the flight indicated a descent below the minimum descent altitude at a constant airspeed. Both engines started immediately and ran during a postaccident check of the aircraft.

The pilot received a full weather briefing from a Flight Service Station (FSS) on the morning of the accident. The FSS briefer told the pilot that moderate turbulence and icing prevailed along the pilot's intended route of flight, and that there were forecasts for isolated thundershowers. The briefer advised the pilot to call for an update just prior to departure. The pilot departed on the flight almost 3 hours later without calling for an update. He received an IFR clearance after 15 minutes of delays, then proceeded on course to his destination. About 35 minutes after departure, while cruising at 16,000 feet, the pilot reported that he was 'in the clouds and the bumps are big time.' About 3 minutes later, the pilot radioed that he was 'in a dive and I don't...' The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down, inverted attitude and exploded. Analysis of recorded radar and meteorological data indicates that the airplane encountered a thunderstorm, strong updrafts, downdrafts, and turbulence.

The pilot-under-instruction (PUI) who possessed an expired medical, and the pilot-in-command (PIC), an ATP pilot with 1240 hours in the Cessna 340, departed on the third training flight for the PUI in the aircraft. The second training flight, flown the previous Saturday, had included single-engine work. The aircraft was observed in the vicinity of the Richland airport by witnesses, several of whom reported the left propeller turning slowly. All witnesses reported seeing the aircraft descending rapidly to the ground in a nose down attitude and several witnesses described the descent as a spin. The aircraft impacted the ground in a near vertical, nose low attitude and was destroyed by fire. Postcrash examination of the aircraft revealed the left propeller in the feathered position and power signatures on the blades of the right propeller. Disassembly of both engines revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunction. The gear and flaps were up and the rudder trim tab showed about 5 degrees of left tab trim. The information manual for the Cessna 340 indicates that the air minimum control speed (single engine), Vmca is 82 KIAS. The manual also indicates that a more suitable airspeed for one engine inoperative training events is 91 KIAS.

The pilot carried out extensive pre-flight checks of G-KINK which had been little used during the preceding six months. During these checks he established visually that the left main (tip) fuel tank was 30% full and the right main fuel tank was 40% full(the tanks can each hold 51 US gallons which equates to approximately 306 lb per side). Both wing (auxiliary) tanks were full but the locker tanks were empty. At 1539 hrs the aircraft departed Halfpenny Green in CAVOK weather conditions for a brief local flight to the west of the airfield. After climbing to an altitude of 2,500 feet and establishing cruise power conditions, the pilot changed the fuel valve selectors from main to auxiliary tanks on both engines. A few minutes later,he set course for a return to Halfpenny Green and changed the fuel selectors back to main tanks on both engines. At this stage the left tank indicated 50 lb remaining and the right tank indicated 70 lb remaining but the pilot had established during his pre-flight checks that these tank gauges were over-reading. About 13 nm from the airport the pilot lowered one stage of flapand obtained 'clearance' from Halfpenny Green Information foran overhead join for landing on Runway 16 from a left-hand circuit. The aircraft overflew the airport and after reducing engine power to 20 inches manifold pressure and 2,200 RPM, the pilot manoeuvred to the west of Runway 16 where he descended on the 'dead side' in preparation for the downwind leg. In his report to the AAIB, the pilot stated that on throttling back, both engines faltered whereupon he checked that all thethrottle, pitch and mixture levers were fully forward, the fuel pumps were switched on and that main tanks were selected on both engines. He then declared an emergency on the AFIS frequency and requested an immediate left orbit with the intention of landing on Runway 16. Initially power was restored on both engines and the pilot lowered the landing gear in preparation for a shortfield landing on Runway 16. However, at approximately 300 ft agl, whilst still travelling downwind, the left engine stopped. There was no time to feather the propeller but the pilot applied right rudder and, with the aircraft descending rapidly, he decided to force-land straight ahead into a field of standing crop to the north west of the airfield. Unfortunately, whilst manoeuvring to avoid farm buildings, the aircraft's left wing tip struck electricity power lines. During the subsequent crash landing the aircraft slid about 50 yards and latterly it 'cartwheeled' in the standing crop and came to rest upside down. There was no fire and all three occupants remained suspended by their seat harnesses. The pilot noticed a strong smell of fuel which was dripping from the region of the fuel valve selectors. He switched off the battery master and engine magneto switches; he also attempted to select both fuel valves to the OFF position but initially he was unsuccessful. After some difficulty, probably due to the weight of the now inverted boarding steps, the pilot succeeded in opening the main cabin door and together with his passengers, he vacated the aircraft and moved to a safe distance to await the arrival of the emergency services. However, before long, when he was convinced there was no longer any danger of fire, he returned to the aircraft to recover documents and valuables. At the same time he confirmed that the electrical switches were off and he succeeded in turning the left engine fuel valve selector to OFF. However, the right fuel valve selector could not be moved to the OFF position.

The pilot's departure plans were changed, when, instead of flying direct to his originally planned destination, he was asked to pick up a passenger at another airport prior to returning home. He departed for his alternative destination in dark night conditions, leveled off at his cruise altitude and impacted the side of a mountain in level flight about 25 miles from his departure point. Air Traffic Control vectored another aircraft to the vicinity after communications and radar contact were lost. The crew of that aircraft stated that instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time in the vicinity of the crash site.

The pilot departed his home base in VFR conditions without filing a flight plan and did not request or receive a preflight or en route weather briefing from the FAA. While en route, he contacted Southern California TRACON (SOCAL) and requested an ILS runway 26 approach to the destination airport. SOCAL cleared the pilot for the approach and to change to an advisory frequency. There was no current weather report available at the airport because the tower was closed, but another pilot who was on the same frequency stated that the airport weather was 'zero zero.' (An automated weather observation system at the airport recorded 'zero zero' conditions near the time of the accident.) Ground witnesses heard the airplane as the pilot began a missed approach. However, the airplane collided with trees and a snack bar building about 1/4 mile northwest of the departure end of the runway. Impact occurred as the airplane was in a right turn through a heading of 345 degrees, which was the opposite direction of turn for the missed approach procedure. Toxicology test of the pilot's blood showed 1.518 mcg/ml Fenfluramine and 0.678 mcg/ml Phentermine; these are appetite suppressant drugs that are chemically related to amphetamines and have a high incidence of abuse. Neither of these drugs was approved by the FAA for use while flying aircraft. The amount of Fenfluramine in the pilot's blood was above a normal level for control of appetite.

On October 29, 1995, about 2152 Universal Coordinated Time, a Cessna 340, N5736M, collided with the ground during an instrument landing system approach at Vienna, Austria. The airplane was operated by Austrian Cessna Aviation, Inc. under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and instrument flight rules. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The private, instrument-rated pilot, and the five passengers had minor injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. The flight departed Barcelona, Spain, about 1810 on the same day.

The non-instrument rated pilot obtained an abbreviated weather briefing for a flight from Las Vegas to Elko, Nevada. He was advised of mountain obscuration, icing and turbulence, and was told that VFR flight was not recommended. A VFR flight plan was filed and activated. The airplane departed Las Vegas at 1414 pdt. The last radio communications with the plane was at 1545 pdt, about 14 miles south of Elko. Several local residents reported a thunderstorm was passing through the area at that time. The airplane was located the next morning about 10 miles southwest of Elko Airport near Grindstone Peak at about 6,000 feet msl. An exam of the airframe and engine at the accident site did not disclose any mechanical problems. During a toxicology test, 4.8 mg/kg of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) was detected in the pilot's liver tissue. Both occupants were killed.

Air traffic control had cleared the airplane for the ILS approach to runway 24, circle to land on runway 06. The airplane broke off the approach to runway 24, and was observed by a witness at a low altitude, on a left downwind for runway 06, flying in and out of clouds. On the base leg, the airplane turned to the left, and a witness saw the left wing make contact with the ground. One witness said that before the crash, the engine sounded 'like they were at full rpm. Several pilots from the air national guard (ang) at the airport went to the crash site minutes after the crash, and observed ice on the airplane's wings and empennage. One of the ang pilot reported his observation of the ice on the aircraft: 'It appeared to be approximately 1/8 inch in thickness throughout the left and right wing surfaces and the rear empennage sections . . .' Another ang pilot described the weather at the time of the accident as, visibility less then one mile with 'freezing rain and sleet.' The examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction. Both occupants were killed.

At 1316LT, shortly after they had reached 2,000 feet and settled into the cruise, both engines lost power in union. The pilot attempted to identify and rectify the problem by checking the magneto and the fuel pumps switches and changing fuel tanks but, being unsuccessful, transmitted a 'mayday' message to Birmingham ATC. The pilot selected the landing gear down and then, despite some difficulty in finding a suitable field in which to make a forced landing and clearing some trees on the final approach, landed in a field of mature wheat. The aircraft came to rest with all three landing gear legs collapsed and the occupants left the aircraft through the normal passenger door.