Cessna Centurion crashes on approach to Lubbock, TX | Icing Conditions
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benyflyguy
En-Route
Yikes. Sounds rough. Wonder why required to go back around initially.
Couldn’t activate approach leg correctly to get glideslope?? Doesn’t sound like he ever declared either. Probably would have been more helpful early.
Couldn’t activate approach leg correctly to get glideslope?? Doesn’t sound like he ever declared either. Probably would have been more helpful early.
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Aztec Flyer
90 deg there a mere dozen days ago.
I was trying to move one of our gas trailers from Tulsa to Amarillo yesterday. Postponed until later in the week.
TWR: “Centurion 9622T, turn right heading 270“ was not helpful for the accident pilot (especially after he got the landing clearance already) and very confusing on top of that since heading 270 would have required a left turn.
Obviously the tower controller intended to take him out of the approach sequence to accommodate for the much faster airliner behind.
This pilot was in distress.
He had difficulties to cope with the approach and the clearances and ATC was fully aware of that.
ATC even asked him about potential icing conditions which were confirmed.
This should have triggered a red flag with ATC.
Leaving the accident pilot on the approach and turning SWA1117 away would have been the right thing to do.
Obviously the tower controller intended to take him out of the approach sequence to accommodate for the much faster airliner behind.
This pilot was in distress.
He had difficulties to cope with the approach and the clearances and ATC was fully aware of that.
ATC even asked him about potential icing conditions which were confirmed.
This should have triggered a red flag with ATC.
Leaving the accident pilot on the approach and turning SWA1117 away would have been the right thing to do.
Bill Watson
En-Route
My wife was just showing me a video of a friend experiencing her first snow on a visit to TX.
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PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
This, but, you can't blame ATC. Most controllers aren't pilots and probably have no clue how deep in crap this guy was. He should have declared. He should have said "unable" to the turn, but he probably didn't know how deadly turning can be in that situation, slow with an ice laden airplane.
All pilots should read about ice and what to do if you get ice on the airframe. Things like tailplane stall, decreased performance, using no or minimal flaps, flying your approach at a faster speed right down to the flare, whether to climb, turn around or descend. But most of all, there are great icing weather products out there that are pretty accurate now, at least at predicting icing levels and where icing may occur, good stuff for staying out of trouble in the first place.
@PaulS
I do not blame ATC. We do not know enough about the crash right now.
I just try to point out that the actions of ATC were not helpful for the distressed accident pilot.
I fully agree with your comments regarding our duties as pilots however we as pilots are doing mistakes. It is human. And flying single pilot IFR in IMC is a totally different ballgame than having the comfort and luxury of a 2-men cockpit in an airliner.
ATC should be aware of that.
And to me it looks like the accident pilot was either unaware of his dangerous situation or he was already too distressed (or task saturated) to declare an emergency.
I do not blame ATC. We do not know enough about the crash right now.
I just try to point out that the actions of ATC were not helpful for the distressed accident pilot.
I fully agree with your comments regarding our duties as pilots however we as pilots are doing mistakes. It is human. And flying single pilot IFR in IMC is a totally different ballgame than having the comfort and luxury of a 2-men cockpit in an airliner.
ATC should be aware of that.
And to me it looks like the accident pilot was either unaware of his dangerous situation or he was already too distressed (or task saturated) to declare an emergency.
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Tantalum
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I really don't think it's fair to put any blame on ATC.. plus, what could ATC have done? This guy was hopelessly behind the airplane in ice. His initial hesitance with 17R and 35L was a big flag that this guy screwed up.. otherwise that RNAV should have been an easy thing to put in the 430/650 and just activate vectors to final. I really don't know what ATC could have done differently other than ask "hey bud, you okay up there?" <- granted, as we saw in the TBM crash, the dude just said yes and then crashed the plane. I don't think the pilot know how deep in $h!t he was
Yes! Where they reporting freezing rain? A day with freezing rain is not a day to be flying single engine GA (although it sounds like there were other GA flying, and at least one Cirrus on the ground waiting for departure)
Nope.. this guy really didn't know how dire his situation was. I was going to say a chute may have saved his life, but I doubt he would have pulled it
Got to break that accident chain.. in this case it's hard to say where the chain even started. Getting resequenced for the approach should have given him time to stabilize, level set basic heading and altitude, reprogram the GPS for the RNAV, and go again
Sad.
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
Agreed, at the end of the day the we, the pilots, are responsible for the safety of our flights. Listening to this guy, I think he knew he was in trouble but didn't declare. We as pilots need to get over asking for help, which in this case would have been declaring an emergency.
Tantalum
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What would have been helpful? If you were working ATC what would you have done differently? They gave him what he asked for, vectors off the course that he was basically already on. They gave him EMUMY, which he asked for. The dude crashed the plane.
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
I cringed when he asked for EMUMY, it was probably and extra 20 or miles of flying in a situation were time was quickly running out.
RyanShort1
Final Approach
Lubbock has freaking huge runways. The guy was only making 50 KTS groundspeed it sounded like, good winds. Maybe asked him to increase speed 10 KTS and if he could accept radar vectors, maybe? Get him down to 200' over the threshold and there should still be room to slow a Centurion down over the runway...
It would have been helpful to leave the guy on the approach while he was already cleared to land.
Taking him off the approach because he was too slow initiated the (final stage of the) accident sequence.
Tantalum
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Yup. That was the (or at least "a") nail.
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
There are a lot of CFI types putting out some really good content. Maybe one of them could do a video on "what to do if you encounter ice in flight in a light aircraft with out a de-ice system?"
Tantalum
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Can ATC vector someone down that low? That's not an appropriate maneuver for an RNAV. Easy to blame ATC but I really don't think they could have saved this guy's life. The 50 knot thing was scary. If you're icey you do not want to get slow. Even if winds were 30 knots that is still only 80 knots! I would have expected him to be at a healthy 90+
N1120A
Pattern Altitude
It sounded like he was having a problem getting onto the FAC. He may not have had the right approach set up either.
Shouldn't be surprising in that part of Texas. They get terrible hail and ice storms regularly.
They can do a PAR approach, in some situations.
An older 210 like this one actually has decent slow speed performance. 57 clean, 51 dirty stall. 80 wouldn't be a terrible speed to be at.
RyanShort1
Final Approach
I was mainly thinking out loud, but I think they do radar vectors out there for the military guys (We've spent some time out there periodically doing aerial photography), and speeding up seemed like an obvious deal with icing conditions and a jet on his tail.
benyflyguy
En-Route
I agree with that. I don’t know the 210 numbers but can’t be that much faster then my 182 and I don’t like flying approaches that slow. Until runway in slight.
He was on final approach course at FAF and asking for vectors initially. Behind behind behind. The slog out to IAF..ugh.
At one point another voice from ATC asked him if he was icing. I kinda felt like that guy knew the trouble if he asked about it.
Tantalum
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Damn...
and again why I ignore people when they tell me flying small planes is dangerous. Accidents like this poison the statistical well
Bill Watson
En-Route
Yes, flying small plane is unforgiving.
But accidents like this are part of the statistical well. Analogous to perhaps, deciding to drive a car when one is too drunk to walk.
Unforgiving and unfortunately, highly visible in the media.
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Regardless of everything else... 50 knot final in a 210? I've been to much smaller airports where ATC asked to speed up. ATC could have seen his speed knowing SWA was coming. That's independent of the icing. Not blaming ATC at all. It ultimately falls on the pilot to be aware and know the situation. He was tragically in over his head on a number of aspects.
dwalt
Pre-takeoff checklist
Remember that ATC's/FlightAware's speed indications are ground speed. Winds were 17G21 at the surface...It's possible winds at his altitude were 30kts or more. This would put him in the 80kts+ IAS range.
Tantalum
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Which is still slow for an instrument approach.. was I the only one taught 1 notch of flaps and 90-100 knots?
.. and especially slow if you're factoring in a wing covered in ice
47PILOT
Pre-takeoff checklist
I can’t help but think that at least one of the controllers was watching the quick deterioration of this pilot as evident of the icing question, missed approach, and obvious confusion on instructions. Pilot or not, a controller “should” have enough experience to see and hear a pilot/plane in a potentially bad situation. They saw him eventually slow to 50kts knowing he had an icing situation and then gave him an instruction to make a turn. That turn was when he lost it.
Of course I’m not implying the controller should be held responsible for the accident, but it’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to be more of a help.
Ultimately yes it was pilot error, but I think if the controller wasn’t as busy as he was with all the other “big iron” I think he would have given this guy more time and consideration
Of course I’m not implying the controller should be held responsible for the accident, but it’s unfortunate he wasn’t able to be more of a help.
Ultimately yes it was pilot error, but I think if the controller wasn’t as busy as he was with all the other “big iron” I think he would have given this guy more time and consideration
dwalt
Pre-takeoff checklist
Agreed that it's slow, just pointing out to Racerx that he probably wasn't doing 50kts. I fly my approaches at 120 in an SR22 and 90ish in the Tiger...I'd add at least 10kts to that if I had icing, if not more.
Boone
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Does anyone know when he lost control? Did he execute the climb out? I didn’t hear a response, it sounds like he lost control on the approach, not because he was given a vector. If I was as in over my head as he seemed to be, I would have been landing regardless of what ATC was telling me to do.
It seems highly likely there is a missing radio call. The controller tells another plane the Centurion is having autopilot issues. It would make sense that the pilot broke off the approach and we don’t hear that part.
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
I'm willing to bet many pilots do not know what to do in icing other than a) not to get into an icing situation b) get the hell out of it if you find yourself in it.
Most controllers would have no idea about icing, especially if the pilot is responding normally to questions. IMO.
idahoflier
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If he was loading up with ice he (or AP) was probably trying to maintain altitude or the profile so slowing airspeed follows right up until the stall...
N1120A
Pattern Altitude
The stall speeds of the Centurion suggest you can actually fly it a bit slower than a Tiger on an approach. Of course, that doesn't mean it won't be hard to do so, given the heavy controls. Also, ice is going to slow you down. If he had the power pulled out for the approach, instead of maintaining higher power setting, I can see how that became a major problem.
3393RP
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Let's back up way before the approach, icing, gusts, ATC, and everything else.
It's no secret a large, powerful winter storm has been moving south from Canada since a week ago today. Saturday, I read the weather forecast for Texas in the Dallas Morning News. It was obvious that the weather was going to change drastically, particularly in West Texas.
Everyone knows newspaper forecasts are unreliable and often wrong. But looking at the surface map on Saturday and Sunday, it was clear to me that on Monday there was going to be significant precipitation across New Mexico and Texas, with daytime temperatures between the mid thirties and low forties.
Anyone that lives within two hundred miles of Lubbock and Amarillo knows strong winter cold fronts cause wind gusts that easily reach 40-50 MPH. Any pilot in the area, even a non-instrument rated one, should know the forecast temperatures and wind meant icing conditions were almost certain to occur.
I guess what I'm saying is that by reading a newspaper I knew that hard IMC were going to be in play at the time of the accident. The pilot seemed to be unprepared for that and frazzled.
Was the pilot instrument rated? I don't think ATC did anything to make his approach more difficult, except for the strange instruction to make a right turn to 270°. It's unclear if the pilot had lost control prior to that.
There's no doubt the pilot was quite unprepared to make the approach. There was obvious confusion and lack of situational awareness as soon as the recording began.
It's no secret a large, powerful winter storm has been moving south from Canada since a week ago today. Saturday, I read the weather forecast for Texas in the Dallas Morning News. It was obvious that the weather was going to change drastically, particularly in West Texas.
Everyone knows newspaper forecasts are unreliable and often wrong. But looking at the surface map on Saturday and Sunday, it was clear to me that on Monday there was going to be significant precipitation across New Mexico and Texas, with daytime temperatures between the mid thirties and low forties.
Anyone that lives within two hundred miles of Lubbock and Amarillo knows strong winter cold fronts cause wind gusts that easily reach 40-50 MPH. Any pilot in the area, even a non-instrument rated one, should know the forecast temperatures and wind meant icing conditions were almost certain to occur.
I guess what I'm saying is that by reading a newspaper I knew that hard IMC were going to be in play at the time of the accident. The pilot seemed to be unprepared for that and frazzled.
Was the pilot instrument rated? I don't think ATC did anything to make his approach more difficult, except for the strange instruction to make a right turn to 270°. It's unclear if the pilot had lost control prior to that.
There's no doubt the pilot was quite unprepared to make the approach. There was obvious confusion and lack of situational awareness as soon as the recording began.
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Damn, looking at the METAR nobody has any business being out there in a piston single. Even FIKI single would be sporty.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Flightaware shows that he originally filed to Corsicana and diverted to LBB. So the pilot recognized that something was wrong....
steingar
Taxi to Parking
Probably doing pirate IFR and didn't want to declare because he'd have to fess up. RIP. Ice is dangerous stuff.
sarangan
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Based on the transcript, it is the 210 pilot who first reported freezing rain. If this was an unforecasted FZRA, he should have tried to climb to warmer air above. If it was forecasted, then it was as dumb as flying into a tornado.
PaulS
Touchdown! Greaser!
If the metar said freezing rain or drizzle then that Cirrus should not have been taking off as flying a fiki Cirrus in freezing rain or drizzle is prohibited. Cirrus has a great FIKI course that is required before you fly your Cirrus in known ice. You have to repeat it every 2 years. It costs $150 the first time, worth every penny.