ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 218105
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| Date: | Sunday 18 November 2018 |
| Time: | 22:40 |
| Type: |  Cessna 441 Conquest II |
| Owner/operator: | Metro Area Ambulance Services/Bismarck Air Medical |
| Registration: | N441CX |
| MSN: | 441-0305 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Engine model: | Garrett TPE331-10N-53 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Harmon, ND -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Bismarck Airport, ND (BIS/KBIS) |
| Williston-Sloulin Field International Airport, ND (ISN/KISN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and two medical crewmembers were repositioning the airplane to pick up a patient for aeromedical transport. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. Radar data showed the airplane climb to 14,000 ft mean sea level after departure and proceed direct toward the destination airport before beginning a right descending turn. The airplane subsequently broke up inflight and impacted terrain. No distress calls were received from the pilot before the accident. Although weather conditions were conducive for inflight icing, no evidence of structural icing was identified at the scene.
The debris field was 2,500 ft long and the disbursement of the wreckage confirmed that both wings, the horizontal stabilizer, both elevators, and both engines separated from the airplane before impacting the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the initiating failure was the failure of the wing where it passed through the center of the airplane. The three wing spars exhibited S-bending deformation, indicative of positive overload producing compressive buckling and fracture. Further, impact signatures as black paint transfers and gouged aluminum, were consistent with the left outboard wing separating when it was struck by the right engine after the wing spars failed. There was no evidence of any pre-exiting conditions that would have degraded the strength of the airplane structure at the fracture locations. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engines, propellers, and available systems showed no mechanical malfunctions or failure that could have contributed to the accident. The descending right turn was inconsistent with the intended flight track and ATC-provided clearance. However, there was insufficient information to determine how it was initiated and when the pilot became aware of the airplane's state in the dark night IMC conditions. Yet, the absence of a distress call or communication with ATC about the airplane's deviation suggests that the pilot was not initially aware of the change in state. The structural failure signatures on the airplane were indicative of the wings failing in positive overload, which was consistent with the pilot initiating a pullup maneuver that exceeded the airplane spars' structural integrity during an attempted recovery from the spiral dive.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane in dark night conditions that resulted in an in-flight positive overload failure of the wings and the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/Medical-plane-crash-northwest-of-Mandan-kills-3-500828871.html
https://www.myndnow.com/news/breaking-news/ambulance-plane-crashes-northwest-of-mandan-killing-three/1606642476
https://www.apnews.com/59767f74a13142ea9e44ad0c01966c32
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-latest-governor-issues-statement-on-medical-plane-crash/2018/11/19/38124048-ec1a-11e8-8b47-bd0975fd6199_story.html??noredirect=on
https://apnews.com/8ed0371191e941dbae5dbbb01d72fa18
NTSB
http://www.maas-nd.com/Services.aspx
http://www.bismarckairmedical.com
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=441CX%20
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/255046-b4d40b9bd9bdd2676e6a2d7f20e28b9b2138c9e6/aircrafttype/C441
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 3 January 2005 | N441CX | Western Slope Auto Co. Inc. | 0 | Thermal, California | |
sub |
Location
Images:
Photos(c): NTSB
Media:
MCSO continues to clean up the area of the Metro Amb. plane crash, collecting debris and gathering info as part of the investigation. We appreciate your patience as we work with NTSB and the FAA . The names of the victims will not be released until their families are notified.
— MortonCountySheriff (@MortonCountySD) 19 novembre 2018
UPDATE: Morton County says debris from plane spread over very large area of a rural pasture west of Highway 25.
— KX News (@KXMB) 19 novembre 2018
The bodies of the three medical personnel have been transferred to the medical examiners office. https://t.co/EaQDHYdeIq
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Nov-2018 15:05 | Geno | Added |
| 19-Nov-2018 15:37 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 19-Nov-2018 15:54 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 19-Nov-2018 19:35 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source, Embed code] |
| 19-Nov-2018 22:11 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 19-Nov-2018 23:04 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 20-Nov-2018 09:40 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 20-Nov-2018 19:43 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Mar-2022 21:52 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Photo] |
| 27-Mar-2022 21:53 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo] |
| 27-Mar-2022 21:53 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo] |
| 27-Mar-2022 21:55 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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