NTSB Factual Report

On March 28, 2001, at 1645 central standard time, a Cessna 414, N8247Q, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground while attempting to land on runway 32R (3,263 feet by 75 feet, asphalt), at the Crystal Airport (MIC), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot and one passenger were uninjured, one passenger received minor injuries and one passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from the Sidney Municipal Airport, Sidney, Nebraska at 1350.

In a written statement, the pilot said that he, "... turned left base for [runway] 32R, added more flaps. Turned to final, dropped all flaps, and the 414 started behaving strangely in a manor I [wasn't] familiar with, a wobble, or flopping in [the] tail section, not like a stall. I leveled wings, dropped nose, brought power up, and that made flopping worse." The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground short of the approach end of runway 32R.

The Crystal police department interviewed the passengers of the aircraft. The first passenger stated to a police officer that he remembered flying over the airport from north to south and remembered seeing a highway. He told the officer that he thought that they were too low. He stated to the officer that the plane banked to the left and he felt all through the bank that the plane was too low.

The second passenger told the police officer that during the left turn prior to the accident, the airplane rolled 90 degrees, which pointed the left wing directly at the ground. The passenger told the officer that just before the impact, the plane pulled out of its turn and leveled out. He said that once the plane leveled, it crashed to the ground.

According to FAA transcripts of voice communications, the airplane was cleared for the VOR-A approach to MIC at 1636:34. At 1637:51, Minneapolis Approach Control instructed the airplane to contact the MIC air traffic control tower (ATCT). The following is a listing of communications between N8247Q and the MIC ATCT:

1638:20 N8247Q tower eight two four seven quebec inbound ah about ready to turn

inbound ah v o r a approach

1638:27 MIC twin cessna eight two four seven quebec crystal tower circle to

runway one four left cleared to land

1638:32 N8247Q circle to one four left ah wilco

1638:41 MIC i got the runway lights all the way up for you so

1640:52 MIC four seven quebec ah appreciate a pilot report from ya land ah after

you land we can get that from ya

1641:01 N8247Q roger

1642:52 N8247Q ah ya got the lights turned up

1642:54 MIC both runway lights are all the way up for ya

1643:04 N8247Q thirteen hundred feet ah we're just starting to see the ground

1643:07 MIC thirteen hundred thanks

1643:18 N8247Q what you reporting anyway

1643:46 MIC i missed that

1643:48 N8247Q i say what are you reporting for ceiling and visibility

1643:50 MIC about three quarters to a half mile visibility here and a ceiling

six hundred broken

1644:01 N8247Q oh you come down

1644:04 MIC we're getting a snow shower moving in ah at the wrong time

for you here

1644:33 MIC i see you're right there you're right above us

1644:40 MIC you want to circle to another runway wind is four knots

(unintelligible) can still make it it's up to you sir cleared to

land any runway

1644:47 N8247Q okay i got the runway now how bout ah the reverse direction is

that all right

1644:52 MIC ya cleared to land runway three two right

1645:11 MIC wind is one two zero at five

1645:50 MIC sir can you help hear me are you okay on the radio

No further transmissions were received from the accident airplane.

The transcripts of the voice communications between the pilot and approach control and between the pilot and the MIC ATCT do not include transmission of weather information. The transcripts do not include transmissions from the pilot advising receipt of automated weather.

According to FAA Order 7110.65M, Chapter 4-7-10, "Approach Information":

a. Both en route and terminal approach control sectors shall provide current approach

information to aircraft destined to airports for which they provide approach control

services. This information shall be provided on initial contact or as soon as possible

thereafter. Approach information contained in the ATIS broadcast may be omitted if

the pilot states the appropriate ATIS code or items 3-5 below may be omitted for pilots

destined to uncontrolled airports when they advise receipt of the automated weather;

otherwise, issue approach information by including the following:

1. Approach clearance or type approach to be expected if two or more approaches

are published and the clearance limit does not indicate which will be used.

2. Runway if different from that to which the instrument approach is made.

3. Surface wind.

4. Ceiling and visibility if the reported ceiling at the airport of intended landing is

below 1,000 feet or below the highest circling minimum, whichever is greater,

or the visibility is less than 3 miles.

5. Altimeter setting for the airport of intended landing.

Radar data was obtained and indicates that at 1643:03 the aircraft was at 1,200 feet MSL altitude at a ground speed of 89 knots. At 1644:44 the aircraft was heading 179 degrees at 82 knots ground speed, at an altitude of 1,000 feet. At 1645:03 the aircraft was heading 179 degrees at 86 knots ground speed, at an altitude of 1,000 feet. At 1645:07 the aircraft was heading 149 degrees at 85 knots ground speed, at an altitude of 1,000 feet. At 1645:12 the aircraft was heading 116 degrees at 85 knots ground speed, at an altitude of 900 feet. The last radar return at 1645:17 indicated that the aircraft was heading 89 degrees at 81 knots ground speed, at an altitude of 900 feet.

The approach procedure for the VOR or GPS-A approach to MIC lists a minimum descent altitude of 1,360 feet MSL and a minimum visibility of 1 mile for category A, B and C aircraft.

The Cessna Model 414 Owner's Manual lists the minimum multi-engine approach speed as 107 miles per hour (MPH) indicated airspeed (IAS). The owner's manual lists the following stall speeds with the landing gear down and flaps extended 45 degrees: 81 MPH IAS at 0 degrees of bank; 83 MPH IAS at 20 degrees of bank; 92 MPH IAS at 40 degrees of bank; 115 MPH IAS at 60 degrees of bank.

A postaccident examination of the aircraft was conducted and no anomalies were found that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration and Cessna Aircraft were parties to the investigation.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot not maintaining the proper airspeed during the circling approach, the inadvertent stall and the subsequent loss of control. Factors were the pilot's decision to continue the approach in weather conditions below the approach/landing minimums, the continued flight below the minimum descent altitude, the pilot not following the approach airspeed listed in the owner's manual, the air traffic controllers not issuing weather information to the pilot, and the weather conditions.