ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38319
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| Date: | Thursday 3 March 1994 |
| Time: | 22:55 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 310K |
| Owner/operator: | Ari Ben Aviator Inc. |
| Registration: | N474AR |
| MSN: | 310K0147 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1966 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5637 hours |
| Engine model: | CONTINENTAL IO-470-V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wichita Falls, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Dallas, TX (KADS) |
| Denver, CO (KAPA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN IFR ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 8,000 FEET ON A DARK VMC NIGHT, WHEN ATC REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING THEIR TRANSPONDER. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE COCKPIT, BUT WERE TRYING TO WORK OUT THE SITUATION. A FEW MINUTES LATER THEY LOST RADAR CONTACT AS THE AIRPLANE INITIATED A DESCENT TOWARDS A NEARBY JOINT USE MILITARY-CIVILIAN AIRPORT SERVED BY APPROACH CONTROL RADAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT IDENTIFIED BUT WAS TRACKED ON PRIMARY RADAR TO A POINT 2.8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THE LAST FEW MILES OF THE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADED WESTBOUND OVER SPARSELY POPULATED RURAL AREA THAT OFFERED MINIMAL OR NO VISUAL REFERENCE IN THE DARK NIGHT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED HEARING THE SOUND OF AIRPLANE ENGINES FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND INVERTED, WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED BY EMERGENCY MODE. THE LEFT GENERATOR WAS FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE, AND THE GROUNDING WIRE FROM THE RIGHT VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BURNED OUT TERMINAL END. THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER HAD A FLASH LIGHT IN HIS HAND.
Probable Cause: WAS THE LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO THE PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION FOLLOWING A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. FACTORS WERE THE DARK NIGHT AND THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AS RESULT OF BURNED OUT WIRING TERMINAL.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW94FA091
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 08:41 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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