Narrative:On January 18, just after midnight a light rain started falling on the ramp at Lubbock (LBB) where the airplane N9461R was parked. The temperature was dropping steadily. By 05:19 the precipitation had turned to light rain, light snow, and fog. By 06:25 the rain stopped, and the light snow and fog continued until after the accident.
The pilot cleaned snow off the airplane. However, under the snow, 80% of the airplanes wing was covered with a coarse layer of ice from 1/16 inch (1,6 mm) to 3/16 inch (4,8 mm) thickness that was not removed. The airplane departed from runway 35L, intersection Foxtrot, at 09:01. During the instrument departure climbing turn, at 400 feet above the ground, the engine surged and lost power. The aircraft began to lose altitude and the pilot landed in a snow covered flat field of winter wheat. The engine was broken from its mounts and forced under the airplane on the pilot's side and the belly pod was crushed on first impact.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to remove ice from the airframe prior to takeoff. Factors were freezing rain the night before and the pilots' incomplete preflight inspection."
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 249 days (8 months) | Accident number: | FTW95FA094 | Download report: | Final report
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Classification:
Icing
Forced landing outside airport
Sources:
» NTSB
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Lubbock International Airport, TX to Midland International Airport, TX as the crow flies is 193 km (121 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.