ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320835
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| Date: | Friday 7 December 2012 |
| Time: | 22:34 |
| Type: |  Cessna 501 Citation I/SP |
| Owner/operator: | Makaira Aircraft Sales LLC |
| Registration: | N212M |
| MSN: | 501-0280 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3612 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Detroit Lakes, MN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Detroit Lakes Municipal Airport, MN (DTL/KDTL) |
| Bessemer Airport, AL (KEKY) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Cessna 501 airplane, N212M, was substantially damaged during recovery from an unusual attitude after departing from Detroit Lakes Airport (KDTL), Minnesota. The two pilots and four passengers were not injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the flight level of the accident, which had an intended destination of Bessemer Airport (KEKY), Alabama.
After takeoff from runway 31, the pilot stated that the airplane entered IMC about 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and the autopilot was engaged about 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL); 2,400 AGL. After receiving an air traffic control (ATC) clearance for a left turn on course, he rotated the heading select 'bug' to command the autopilot to initiate a left turn. While climbing through approximately 7,000 MSL, with the autopilot still engaged, the pilot stated that the airplane rolled to the left and transitioned rapidly into a nose down descent. Both pilots stated that their attention had been focused away from the attitude indicators during the time immediately prior to the unusual attitude commencing.
The pilot disconnected the autopilot and attempted to recover the airplane, which he observed had entered into a nearly inverted, left turning spiral, with a steep nose down attitude. To recover from the unusual attitude, the pilot referenced the standby attitude indicator, turn needle, and heading indicator. Both wings were structurally damaged during recovery from the nose low attitude.
Radar track data indicated on departure from KDTL, the airplane made a climbing left turn, leveled at 6,000 feet MSL, and subsequently flew straight ahead at 6,000 feet MSL for about 30 seconds. Next, the airplane made a climbing, right turn to about 7,200 feet MSL and then transitioned into a descending spiral to the right, with a descent rate exceeding 10,000 feet per minute. The descending spiral continued until about 3,500 feet MSL. The airplane then transitioned to a right climbing turn through 4,800 feet MSL and subsequently began to climb with a wings level attitude.
Probable Cause: "A loss of airplane control due to an undetermined avionics malfunction and the pilots inattention, which resulted in excessive airframe forces during the unusual attitude recovery. The reason for the avionics malfunction could not be determined because postaccident testing did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation."
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