Accident Beechcraft 58 Baron N4320W,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 362317
 
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Date:Monday 15 March 1993
Time:00:34 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE58 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft 58 Baron
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N4320W
MSN: TH-468
Total airframe hrs:5921 hours
Engine model:CONTINENTAL IO-520-C
Fatalities:Fatalities: / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Grants, NM -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Albuquerque, NM
Destination airport:Oakland, CA (KOAK)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ALONG AN AIRWAY, WITH A MINIMUM EN ROUTE ALTITUDE OF 13,300 FEET, WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 10,600 FEET. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A SNOW COVERED MOUNTAIN CRESTING AT 11,301 FEET. DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS EXISTED AND THE PILOT HAD JUST ACTIVATED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN. CARGO INCLUDED COBALT 60, A RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL. SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE PILOT OR THE PASSENGERS. RECORDED RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE GROUND TRACK WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE MEASURED GROUND SCAR HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 272 DEGREES. TREE/TERRAIN IMPACT OCCURRED IN A LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 5,718 POUNDS; MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT WAS 5,400 POUNDS.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION AND THE SELECTION OF AN ALTITUDE THAT WOULD NOT PROVIDE TERRAIN CLEARANCE ALONG HIS PLANNED ROUTE. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: FTW93FA103
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 4 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB FTW93FA103

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
14 March 1993 N4320W private 4 Grants, NM w/o

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Mar-2024 20:05 ASN Update Bot Added

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