History of Flight
On December 5, 2016, about 2222 eastern standard time, a Fairchild SA-227AC, registration N765FA, operating as Key Lime Air flight 308 (LYM308), was destroyed following an in-flight breakup near Camilla, Georgia. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to CBG LLC. and operated by Key Lime Air as an on-demand cargo flight under 14 CFR Part 135. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 2154 from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Panama City, Florida, destined for Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY), Albany, Georgia.
About one hour before the scheduled 2130 departure, the pilot completed a routine check-in call with the Key Lime Air flight follower assigned to cargo flights. The pilot reported he was holding on the ground due to convective activity described as "extreme" with "tornado activity." The departure was delayed for weather evaluation. At about 2140, UPS called dispatch to confirm departure, noting the cargo would not make service if delayed. About two minutes later, the non-cargo flight follower called the pilot, who stated he would depart immediately and try to fly a clear weather corridor northeast toward ABY, with Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) as an alternate. The flight departed at 2154.
At 2215, an air traffic controller at Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center advised the pilot of a "ragged line of moderate, heavy, and extreme precipitation" along the planned route, noting no breaks in the weather. The controller cleared the pilot to descend at his discretion from 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) to 3,000 ft msl. The controller suggested a 70-nautical-mile northeast diversion to avoid severe weather; the pilot had enough fuel but would check radar after descending. At 2218, during descent, the controller reported loss of radar and transponder contact, possibly due to weather. About 40 seconds later, the pilot indicated intent to deviate right, then announced a turn back to Tallahassee. The controller cleared direct to TLH at 3,000 ft msl. The pilot confirmed but noted difficulty maintaining altitude. The controller recommended heading 180°; the pilot acknowledged. No further communications were received.
About 2220, radar data showed the airplane entering a right turn that continued through about 540° before radar contact was lost at 2222:24. The airplane's reported altitude was near 3,500 ft during the turn. A computational study estimated calibrated airspeed between 198 and 130 knots, bank angles between 40 and 50°, and a load factor of about 1.3g.
Personnel Information
The pilot reported total flight experience of 11,133 hours at his most recent medical examination on September 29, 2016. The operator provided additional experience: 4,670 hours total in make and model (SA-227), 4,647 hours as pilot-in-command in type, 74 hours in the past 90 days, 29 hours in the past 30 days, and 0 hours in the past 24 hours. The pilot's training record began with a satisfactory initial Part 135 check on November 3, 2008. His most recent proficiency check was completed on June 29, 2016, meeting requirements of 14 CFR 135.293, 135.297, and 135.299. No unsatisfactory checks were recorded from 2008 to 2016. The pilot was qualified and current for the flight. Since 2008, he primarily operated the single-pilot cargo flight between ECP and ABY and was the sole Key Lime Air pilot based at ECP. His most recent flight duty ended on December 3, 2016, at 0830; he was off-duty until checking in about one hour before the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1990, was a twin-engine, propeller-driven, low-wing, pressurized Fairchild SA-227AC originally configured for 19 passengers but modified for cargo. It was all metal with a cruciform tail and retractable tricycle landing gear. Power came from two Honeywell TPE331-11U-611 turboshaft engines. Maximum takeoff weight was 16,000 lbs. Length was 59.35 ft, wingspan 57 ft, tail height 16.66 ft. A continuous airworthiness inspection completed on September 16, 2016, recorded 23,233.2 total airframe hours; the airplane had flown 63 hours since that inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 2200, a low-pressure system over Louisiana at 1004 hPa was along a frontal wave with a cold front extending south into the Gulf of Mexico and a stationary front eastward along the Gulf coast into Florida and southern Georgia. A high-pressure system at 1020 hPa was over North Carolina. The stationary front was over the flight route. Stations near the accident site showed a cyclonic wind flow pattern, suggesting a developing low along the stationary front, with moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms. Albany, Georgia reported north wind at 10 knots, moderate rain, overcast, temperature and dew point 60°F. To the south, southerly winds of 10-15 knots with temperatures and dew points in the 70s.
National composite radar at 2220 showed the accident site along the leading edge of a line of convection with reflectivities of 50-60 dBZ. A narrow clear corridor extended from Panama City to Tallahassee to Moultrie, Georgia, immediately east of the accident site. The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorms over the area, including the accident site, implying possible tornadoes, intense winds, and hail. The destination airport (ABY) automated observation at 2221 reported wind 090° at 13 knots, visibility 8 miles in rain, scattered clouds at 2,600 ft, broken at 12,000 ft, temperature 16°C, dew point 16°C. Tallahassee (TLH) at 2234 reported wind 190° at 16 knots, visibility 10 miles in rain, broken 800 ft, overcast 1,200 ft, temperature 24°C, dew point 23°C.
Weather radar from Tallahassee (KTLH) at 0.5° elevation at 2221:47 showed the flight tracking along the leading edge of heavy-intensity echoes, operating in light precipitation (5-20 dBZ). At 2228:12, rapidly-developing echoes over the flight track reached 43.5 dBZ (heavy intensity). By 2234:39, reflectivity over the accident site was 40-52 dBZ (heavy to extreme), with bowing segments. Echo tops near the flight track were 30,000-35,000 ft, with tops to 45,000 ft immediately west.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 3.4 miles east-southeast of Camilla, Georgia, with wreckage scattered over a 2,640 ft long and 1,500 ft wide debris field oriented on a heading of 049° true. The wings outboard of the engine nacelles, wing extensions, empennage, ailerons, and cargo door separated during the accident sequence. The first components found were the outboard wing sections with damage consistent with fuselage contact. The empennage and mid-span wing portions followed. The fuselage came to rest beside a residence, damaged by postcrash fire.
Examination at Atlanta Air Salvage revealed the left outboard wing separated just outboard of the nacelle, with the wing tip extension separated. The left wing displayed a diagonal crease, upward deformation, twisting, and crushing. The left aileron separated in three pieces. The right outboard wing also separated just outboard of the nacelle, with green paint transfer on upper surfaces. The right aileron inboard portion was recovered. Both wing tip extensions had attach fittings pulled from the structure. The fuselage showed significant fire damage, lateral crushing, and a diagonal pattern of paint transfer, rubber transfer, and gouging. The cargo door separated with deformation. The horizontal stabilizers separated; the left stabilizer showed leading edge crushing, the right stabilizer was crushed downward with paint transfer. The empennage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were recovered in pieces. The vertical stabilizer forward spar was deformed aft. The elevator control horn was fractured.
Continuous examination of airframe and systems found no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The airplane's destruction resulted from in-flight separation of major components.