Minnesota

The airplane was in cruise flight at 17,000 feet msl when the pilot told Minneapolis ARTCC 'We're picking up some ice and rain, and we're going to turn around.' ARTCC approved the request. Two minutes later the pilot told ARTCC that 'We're looking for some help to get around this weather southbound.' ARTCC told the pilot that he could turn either east or west. The pilot turned west, then 4 minutes later turned back to the south. The pilot then told ARTCC that they were still encountering weather. ARTCC directed the pilot to turn north and then east whenever he could. Approximately 1 minute later ARTCC radar showed the airplane in a rapid descent. The pilot then told ARTCC 'Minneapolis center, N9114Q is out of control.' The pilot had received a FSS briefing prior to takeoff, and was advised of convective conditions and precipitation building to the south along his intended route of flight. The airplane was approximately 548 pounds over maximum takeoff weight.

The airplane departed on runway 31 in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and turned right to a heading of 090°. Radar contact (arts tag) was acquired about 1 to 2 miles north of the airport. Reportedly, the arts tag would typically be acquired as the airplane climbed through an altitude of about 700 feet agl. Subsequently, the airplane crashed about 2 miles north of the airport. A witness reported hearing a loud engine noise before the plane crashed. The wreckage path was oriented along a westerly heading and over an area of about 380 feet. There was evidence of an in-flight breakup. An outboard portion of the right wing was found about 150 feet from the main impact crater. An examination revealed the right wing had failed near the production seam. The right spar exhibited features 'typical of an upward bending overstress separation.' Examination revealed no other evidence of preimpact aircraft or engine malfunction. The airplane's gross weight was estimated to be about 4,696 pounds; its max limit was 4,300 pounds. The pilot's logbook indicated that he had flown only 2 instrument approaches in the previous 14 months. All three occupants were killed.

While on a localizer back course approach the airplane collided with trees and the terrain approximately 3 miles from the runway threshold. The captain delayed the start of the descent that subsequently required an excessive descent rate to reach the FAF and MDH. The captain's actions led to distractions during critical phases of the approach. The flightcrew lost altitude awareness and allowed the airplane to descend below mandatory level off points. The captain's record raised questions about his airmanship and behavior that suggested a lack of crew coordination during flight operations, including intimidation of first officers. Company management did not address these matters adequately. The airline's flight operations management failed to implement provisions to adequately oversee the training of their flight crews and the operation of their aircraft. FAA guidance to their inspectors concerning implementation of ops bulletins is inadequate and has failed to transmit valuable safety information as intended to airlines. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed.

The flight originated at 1235. The pilot performed two fly-by passes for the dedication of a nearby mall. The pilot radioed for clearance to land at the private airport which he owned. He was given clearance to land and told the wind was from the south at 20 knots. The pilot landed on runway 09. During landing roll, the airplane was seen to nose over. The cockpit, cabin, and left wing of the airplane were consumed by fire. The passenger escaped through the over-wing emergency exit on the right side of the cabin. He stated the pilot was lying near the rear door and would not respond to stimulus. The investigation revealed two skid marks in the grass which terminated at the airplane wreckage. The mark made by the right main landing gear was 750 feet long. The skid mark made by the left main landing gear was 560 feet long. The passenger was seriously injured and the pilot was killed.

The pilot stated that when the flight was on final approach, 'the aircraft suddenly stopped flying and contacted the snow...came to a stop about 500 feet down the runway on the centerline. All 3 gears were folded back.' The airplane had been washed the night before and then rolled outside into -5° temperature. Ice was found in the airplane static system.

During the approach, the 1st officer (FO) asked the captain if he wanted to '...pop the boots?' to remove ice off the wings. The capt responded '...it's going to the hangar. I'll run'em on the ground...' The FO retarded power over the threshold and the sink rate increased; the capt observed 900 fpm. The FO applied additional back pressure on the yoke, but it was inadequate to arrest the high sink rate. Additional back pressure was applied, and the stall horn sounded followed shortly thereafter by the captain stating 'I got it.' During the hard landing the right main landing gear broke, the fuel tank ruptured, and the right wing rear spar bent upward. Aprx 18 hrs after the accident, 3/16 inch of rime mixed with clear ice was observed on the leading edges of the wing, horizontal stab, and vertical stab. The ice had finger-like protrusions positioned vertically to the wing surfaces. The company's line ops manual does not discuss flight characteristics or landing techniques specific to wing ice. Neither pilot had received company's current crm training.

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the right engine lost power. An aborted takeoff was performed, but the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, or stop the airplane before it swerved off the remaining runway. The airplane traveled down a 40 foot embankment then slid into a frozen swamp. Post accident inspection revealed a seized fuel pump rotor shaft and a broken coupling on the right engine's fuel pump.

Witnesses observed the aircraft for approximately 8 minutes in erratic diving, climbing, and steep-turning maneuvers which culminated in a 12° descent to the ground. The sound of the engine was heard throughout the sequence and other evidence indicated engine power at impact. The aircraft struck trees, a farm building, farm equipment, and a vehicle, then burst into flames. The wreckage was strewn along a 320 feet path. No evidence of flight control malfunction was found. The pilot claimed an upset stomach before the flight. The pilot's speech was slurred in radio transmissions. The pilot did not respond to the last radio call from Sioux Falls tower. No emergency or distress calls were received from the pilot. The postmortem examination of the pilot did not identify specific impairment but was limited due to the severity of the impact and fire damage.