Accident Overview
During a night flight over Virginia, a twin-engine airplane encountered icing conditions while cruising. The crew requested a higher altitude to escape the icing, but the request was denied. Minutes later, the aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a near-vertical attitude in a field in Wise, Virginia. The impact totally destroyed the airplane, and all seven occupants were killed.
Circumstances
The accident occurred at night under icing conditions that included sleet and freezing rain. The aircraft accumulated airframe ice, which contributed to the loss of control. The pilots made improper in-flight decisions, and the aircraft was unable to climb to a safe altitude. Additionally, air traffic control failed to seek specific information regarding the deterioration of the pilot's and aircraft's abilities.
Official Findings
The probable cause of the accident was determined to be loss of control following in-flight icing. Contributing factors included the icing conditions (sleet and freezing rain), airframe ice, improper in-flight decisions, the inability to climb to a safe altitude, and ATC's failure to seek specific information regarding the deterioration of pilot and aircraft capabilities.