History of Flight
On December 2, 2011, about 0810 central standard time, a Beech F90, registration N90QL, collided with terrain while on an instrument approach to Midland Airpark (MDD), near Midland, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by Quality Lease Air Services LLC under 14 CFR Part 91 as a positioning flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Wharton Regional Airport (ARM), Wharton, Texas, about 0626.
The pilot obtained a weather briefing that forecast light freezing drizzle for the proposed time and route. During the approach, the airplane accumulated moderate to severe icing. The pilot stated he had all deicing equipment on. The autopilot was flying to a navigational fix called JIBEM; the pilot switched to heading mode and flew to the final approach fix WAVOK, deploying deice boots twice before reaching WAVOK.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) advised the pilot that radar showed him apparently flying to JIBEM. The pilot responded he was correcting and that there was something wrong with the GPS. The controller canceled the approach clearance and issued a turning and climbing clearance for another approach. The pilot noted his copilot's window had iced up. He was vectored and cleared for a second attempt; his window was "halfway iced up." About two minutes later, the controller advised the airplane was about half a mile south of the course; the pilot acknowledged. The controller gave heading and climb instructions for a missed approach and cleared the pilot to change to an advisory frequency. The pilot responded "Good day."
The pilot had configured the aircraft with approach flaps and extended the landing gear before the final approach fix and did not retract them. He descended to 3,300 feet, just under the cloud deck, looking for the runway. He reported that everything was smooth until he advanced throttles from about halfway to three-quarters; then he lost roll control. The airplane rolled approximately 90 degrees left. He disengaged the autopilot and turned the yoke right, but it slowly responded and then rolled 90 degrees right. He turned left and pulled back; the airplane rolled level, and the stall warning horn sounded seconds before impact.
The pilot maintained a target airspeed of 120 knots on approach and 100 knots on final; he was close to 80 knots during the 90-degree right bank. Witnesses saw the airplane wings rocking, then banking left and nosing down. The airplane impacted a residential house about 1 mile from the approach end of runway 25, followed by a postcrash fire. The pilot exited; no ground injuries were reported.
Personnel Information
The 53-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine land ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued August 3, 2011, with corrective lenses limitation. He reported 4,600 total flight hours, 25 hours in the same make/model, 224 hours actual instrument time, and 5 hours actual instrument time in the preceding 90 days.
Aircraft Information
N90QL was a 1979 Beech King Air F90, twin-engine, T-tailed, seven-seat airplane (serial number LA-2). On June 6, 2011, it received a phase three and four inspection; the Hobbs meter indicated 8,253 hours total time. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 engines driving four-bladed Hartzell propellers. The pilot reported maximum gross weight 10,950 pounds; actual weight at accident was 10,000 pounds.
Maximum flap extension speed for approach flaps was 184 knots IAS; maximum landing gear extended speed was 184 knots IAS. According to the airplane's stall speed chart at 10,000 pounds with approach flaps extended, stall speed was about 81 knots IAS at 0° bank and about 114 knots at 60° bank.
The Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) icing limitations stated: minimum airspeed for sustained icing flight 140 knots; sustained flight in icing with flaps extended prohibited except for approach and landings. The POH also contained limitations for severe icing conditions (per FAA AD 98-04-24), including visual cues for severe icing and prohibition of autopilot use when cues exist or unusual trim/autopilot warnings occur.
Meteorological Information
At 0815, MDD automated weather reported: wind 030° at 9 knots, visibility 1¾ miles, mist, scattered clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 800 feet, temperature 1°C, dew point 1°C, barometric pressure 30.31 inHg. AIRMET Sierra for IFR, AIRMET Tango for moderate turbulence below 8,000 feet, and AIRMET Zulu for moderate icing between freezing level and 9,000 feet (boundary did not extend over destination). The 0600 Midland upper air sounding showed a moist low-level environment with freezing level at 451 feet AGL and a temperature inversion at 6,576 feet MSL where temperatures rose above freezing. No severe icing warnings were in published advisories for the destination area.
Aids to Navigation
MDD had published approaches: RNAV (GPS) RWY 25, RNAV (GPS) RWY 34, VOR/DME RWY 25, and VOR-A. The RNAV RWY 25 approach had an inbound course of 248° and MDA of 3,220 feet MSL. Minimums were MDA 500 feet and 1-mile visibility for straight-in.
Communications
The pilot was in contact with Midland ATCT/Approach Control. At 0749, he reported descending to 8,000 feet. At 0750, the controller cleared him to descend to 6,000 feet and proceed direct to CIRIT. At 0751, another airplane reported light clear icing at 5,000 feet; the pilot acknowledged. At 0755, the controller issued an approach clearance for RNAV RWY 25. At 0758, the controller asked if the pilot was heading to JIBEM; the pilot confirmed and said he was correcting. At 0800, the approach clearance was canceled. The pilot was vectored at 4,500 feet for a second approach; at 0804, another clearance was issued. At 0806, the controller advised he was off course; the pilot acknowledged. At 0807, the pilot was cleared to change to advisory frequency, acknowledged, and no further communications were recorded.
Airport Information
MDD is a public, non-towered airport about 3 miles north of Midland, Texas, elevation 2,803 feet MSL. It has two asphalt runways: 16/34 and 7/25. Runway 7/25 is 5,022 by 75 feet with non-precision markings and a 4-light, 3-degree glide path VASI.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane crashed into a house northeast of the intersection of Trevino Street and Casper Court, Midland. A post-impact ground fire melted collected ice and consumed most of the airplane.
Additional Information
The pilot was accustomed to flying a 1974 Beech King Air E90 (conventional tail) with different avionics and autopilot. The F90 had conventional avionics with HSI and a different autopilot than the S-TEC in the E90. During an FAA inspector interview, the pilot stated he believed the loss of control was "primarily due to ice."