NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 7, 2012, at 0404 central daylight time, a Beech E90, N987GM, operated by Win Win Aviation, Inc., De Kalb, Illinois, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Karnack, Texas. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. No flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The flight departed from the De Kalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DKB), DeKalb, Illinois, approximately 0230, and was en route to Brownsville, Texas.

According to the owner of Win Win Aviation, the airplane was recently purchased from an air medical company and underwent maintenance and refurbishment for sky diving operations. The pilot was a contract pilot for Win Win Aviation and was hired to fly the airplane to Mexico to deliver aircraft parts, and ultimately deliver the airplane to a sky diving company.

The pilot arrived at the operator's facility at DeKalb approximately 1430 on July 6th, and inquired about the status of the airplane. The owner of Win Win Aviation instructed the pilot to await the return the chief mechanic prior to the intended flight, in order for the chief mechanic to inspect a recent propeller installation and return the airplane to service. The chief mechanic was out of town and expected to return later in the evening. The pilot then returned to a hotel approximately 1600.

The chief mechanic returned to the facility approximately 0010 on July 7th. The mechanic called the owner and reported he was too tired to complete the required inspection. Prior to leaving the facility, the chief mechanic saw the pilot and instructed him to return in the morning. The chief mechanic left the facility and had no further communication with the pilot.

The pilot departed from DKB approximately 0230. At 0336:45, the pilot contacted the Dallas Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZFW ARTCC) Sector 27 after being switch by the previous ZFW sector and reported level at 14,500 feet mean sea level (msl). The ZFW Sector 27 controller acknowledged the pilot and issued the Texarkana altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury. At 0359:12, the ZFW Sector 27 controller advised the pilot of an area of moderate precipitation at a distance of 15 miles and at his 12 o'clock position. The pilot acknowledged the transmission. At 0359:28, the ZFW Sector 27 controller switched the airplane to ZFW Sector 52.

At 0359:57, the pilot checked in with the ZFW Sector 52 controller and reported his altitude was 14,500 feet msl. The controller responded with an altimeter setting of 29.99. At 0401:11, a United Airlines Flight 335, an Airbus Industries A320 flying from Los Angeles, California, to Orlando, Florida, checked in on the ZFW Sector 52 frequency and reported his altitude of flight level 350 (35,000 feet msl). At 0402:37, the United pilot requested a left deviation for weather and the deviation was approved by the ZFW Sector 52 controller.

At 0402:55 the ZFW Sector 52 controller transmitted to the accident airplane pilot, "N7GM, I'm showing some moderate, heavy and extreme precipitation now 12 o'clock and about two miles, it just popped up and became extreme there, it's gonna extend to the south about another one five miles". The pilot responded, "Ah, yeah I'm seeing some weather, sir do you have a recommendation deviation left or right degrees?" The Sector 52 controller responded, "N7GM, no I really don't, it looks like you are heading right for it, it looks like the heavier stuff most of it is to your left, to the east so maybe going west would be better". At 0403:27, the pilot responded, "Alright sir, I'll make a 25 right".

At 0403:55 the pilot of N987GM transmitted "Fort Worth Center, I'm gonna keep it going right here". The ZFW Sector 52 controller acknowledged the transmission and at 0404:01 transmitted "That's fine N7GM, whichever way you need to go is fine".

At 0405:08 the ZFW Sector 52 controller asked the pilot if he was through the weather, and there was no response. Starting at 0405:37, the ZFW Sector 52 controller made three unsuccessful attempts to contact the pilot with the last transmission at 0407:15.

Witnesses who were residents in the vicinity of the accident site reported that a severe thunderstorm passed through that area about the time of the accident. They reported that the thunderstorm contained lightning, thunder, and heavy rain.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, who was seated in the left front seat position, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane multi-engine land and airplane single-engine land ratings. The commercial certificate contained the following limitation, "Not valid for carriage of persons for hire in airplanes on cross-country flights of more than 50 nautical miles or at night." The pilot was issued a second-class medical certificate on June 14, 2012, with a restriction for corrective lenses for distant and near vision. According to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) airman records, the pilot reported on his most recent medical application he had accumulated 5,300 total flight hours.

According to records obtained from the operator, the pilot's most recent flight review was satisfactorily conducted on July 6, 2011. The records, which were excerpts of the pilot's logbook, indicated that as of July 6, 2011, the pilot had accumulated 9,103.6 total flight hours and 6,525.4 hours in multi-engine airplanes. The logbook also indicated the pilot had accumulated 718 actual instrument flight hours. The pilot did not hold an airplane instrument rating.

The operator reported that the pilot was an experienced, good pilot, and most often flew for sky diving companies. The operator also stated the pilot did not typically fly with a handheld global position system (GPS), and probably was not familiar with the operation of the installed weather avionics on the airplane. The accident flight was the first flight for the pilot in the accident airplane.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane, a Beech E90 (King Air), serial number LW-65, was a high performance, low wing, semi-monocoque design airplane. The airplane was powered by two 680-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 engines (serial numbers PCE-41799 and PCE-50620). The airplane was equipped with 4-bladed, Hartzell HC-B4TN-3A propellers. Flight controls were installed for the left seat only. The airplane's maximum takeoff weight was 10,100 pounds (lbs) and useful load was 3,681 lbs.

The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on August 20, 1973, and was maintained under a continuous airworthiness inspection program.

According to the maintenance records obtained from the owner, the airplane underwent Phase 1 through Phase 4 inspections and additional miscellaneous maintenance that was completed on June 30, 2012. At the time of the maintenance, the airframe had a total time of 15,081.2 hours. The left engine (serial number PCE-41799) had accumulated 31,056 hours and 45,534 cycles since new; 5,524 hours since overhaul, and 1,214 hours since hot section overhaul. The right engine (serial number PCE-50620) had accumulated 7,859 hours and 8,373 cycles since new; and 3,619 hours and 2,630 cycles since overhaul.

The airplane was equipped with a Bendix/King RDS-82 weather radar system and IN-182A radar indicator. The system was capable of providinig continuous en route weather information relative to cloud formations, rainfall rate, thunderstorms, and storm detection up to a distance of 240 miles. The indicator contained front panel selections of power, range, tilt adjustment of antenna, receiver gain control, hold, self-test, and stab adjustment. The airplane was also equipped with a BFGoodrich Avionics Systems WX-900 Weather Mapping System stormscope.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Harrison County Airport (ASL), 3 miles southeast of Marshall, Texas, had an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) whose reports were not supplemented by a human observer. ASL was located 10 miles southwest of the accident site.

At 0335, the ASL AWOS reported the wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, broken ceiling at 12,000 feet, temperature 21 degrees Celsius, dew point 19 degrees Celsius, and altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.

At 0355, the ASL AWOS reported the wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, broken ceiling at 8,000 feet, broken skies at 11,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dew point 20 degrees Celsius, and altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.

At 0415, the ASL AWOS reported the wind from 190 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees Celsius, dew point 20 degrees Celsius, and altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.

A radar summary image from 0415 with reflectivity values over the southern United States showed the accident site located in an area with 40 to 50 decibel (dBZ) values. The reflectivity values indicated very strong to intense echoes over the accident site around the accident time.

The closest National Weather Service Weather Surveillance Radar-1988, Doppler (WSR-88D) was Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), Shreveport, Louisiana, located 23 miles southeast of the accident site. The SHV WSR-88D base reflectivity image for the 6.0 degree elevation scans initiated at 0357, 0402, and 0408, indicated that the airplane likely encountered conditions between a video integrator and processor (VIP) intensity level of 4 and 6, or very strong to extreme conditions. Lightning flash data from 0359 to 0404 revealed that lightning occurred near the accident site and in front of the flight track at least 5 minutes before the accident time.

At 0402, a 3-dimensional view of the SHV WSR-88D base reflectivity for the elevation scans showed the accident flight encountering an area of thunderstorms directly along the flight track.

Pilot reports (PIREPs) close to the accident site were reviewed from 3 hours prior to the accident to 3 hours after the accident time, and no PIREPs were disseminated.

No SIGMENTs, CWSU Advisory or Meteorological Impact Statements, or AIRMETs were active for the accident site at the accident time.

There was no record of the accident pilot receiving an official or unofficial weather briefing prior to departure.

RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS

Radar data was obtained from an airport surveillance radar (ASR-11) located at Barksdale Air Force Base that also supplied data to ZFW ARTCC. The last recorded radar plot occurred at 0403:54 at an altitude of 14,600 feet msl. A Weather and Radar Processor (WARP) plot provided by the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, depicted an area of extreme intensity precipitation in the flight path and was representative of the weather information being displayed to sector 52 controller at the time of the accident.

According to the plotted WARP weather map obtained from the FAA, from the beginning of the sector 52 WARP data at 0354:41 until 0358:55, the weather system that the accident airplane was flying toward was displayed to the sector 52 controller as moderate and heavy precipitation. At 0358:55, the WARP system updated the display to show the precipitation as moderate, heavy, and extreme intensity, which continued until at least 0409:35, the end of the WARP data provided by the FAA.

Operations Manager In Charge (OMIC)

On the day of the accident, the OMIC was working a mid-watch shift from July 6, 2012, at 2230 to 0630 on July 7, 2012. At the time of the accident, he was working the Operations Manager desk and had been conducting direct and indirect monitoring of the facility operations. He indicated that by 0400, he was tired and could not do much more. Approximately 0408, the Cedar Creek specialty sector 29 controller told the OMIC he was needed in the Cedar Creek specialty.

The OMIC went to the Cedar Creek specialty where the sector 52 controller explained he had a simultaneous loss of radar and radio communications with the accident airplane. The OMIC looked at the radar display and saw a coast track with an altitude of 14,500 feet msl. He stated that there were "popcorn storms" in the area; most were moderate with areas of heavy and extreme precipitation as had been typical throughout the week. He added that most of the storms were not in the area for very long, and both the sector 29 and 52 controllers stated the weather had built rapidly.

The OMIC immediately started making notifications of a possible aircraft accident or incident.

The OMIC indicated there had been no irregularities with the radar or weather data throughout the watch, and the weather had been normal with scattered storms. He reported that it was characteristic for the "popcorn storms" to pop up or die down quickly.

He indicated the storms on the morning of July 7, 2012, ranged from moderate to extreme precipitation intensity. The storms had been building from 1200 to 1300 on July 6, 2012, until 2100, and then began to fall apart. He felt like these "popcorn storms" were the worst storms, more dangerous than a line of thunderstorms because they grew or dissipated so fast.

Frisco Specialty Sector 27 Controller

On the day of the accident, the controller worked a mid-watch shift from July 6, 2012, at 2230 to 0630 on July 7, 2012, and was assigned to the Frisco Specialty sector 27. The controller stated he had just come off a 2.5 hour recuperative break and took the sector at 0340. He received a briefing from the off going controller. His first transmission after taking the position was to tell the accident pilot about the weather just ahead of the airplane, which was depicted on the radar display as moderate precipitation. After the pilot acknowledged the weather, the controller switched the pilot to sector 52. A short time later, the sector 29 controller told him that the sector 52 controller had lost radar and radio communications with the airplane.

The controller stated that issuing weather to a pilot was on a workload permitting basis. He reported no anomalies with the radar or weather systems when he assumed his watch, and had not seen any glaring anomalies in the system before switching the airplane to sector 52.

Cedar Creek Specialty Sector 29 Controller

On the day of the accident, the controller worked a mid-watch shift from July 6, 2012, at 2230 to 0630 on July 7, 2012, working sectors 29/89 combined in the Cedar Creek specialty. He reported the traffic volume was normal with the usual reduced number of aircraft, although he did not recall how much traffic he was working at the time of the accident. After reviewing the accident replay during the interview, he said he was working one aircraft at the time of the accident, which was the accident airplane.

The controller became aware of the situation with the accident airplane when he overheard the sector 52 controller talking to the pilot about the weather and trying to give him options. The controller said that after he heard the accident pilot indicate he would be going farther right around the weather, it piqued his interest. He observed moderate returns in the sector 52 area.

When the sector 52 controller told him that the flight track had gone into coast, he looked at the sector 52 radar display and observed moderate, heavy, and extreme precipitation returns. He attempted to contact the airplane without success.

Cedar Creek Specialty Sector 52 Controller

On the day of the accident, the controller worked a mid-watch shift from July 6, 2012, at 2230 to 0630 on July 7, 2012, working sector 52 in the Cedar Creek specialty. The controller had only worked the accident airplane for a few moments when UAL 335 checked on frequency and requested a deviation for weather. The controller approved the left deviation for UAL 335, and then advised the accident pilot that there was an area of moderate, heavy, and extreme weather at 12 o'clock and 2 miles. The pilot then asked for a suggested turn to avoid the weather, and the controller told him a right turn to the west looked better from his presentation and approved a deviation.

The controller recalled that there had been scattered areas of moderate precipitation throughout the area all evening, and the first time h

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadvertent flight into thunderstorm activity, which resulted in the loss of airplane control and the subsequent exceedance of the airplane's design limits and in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the failure of air traffic control personnel to use available radar information to provide the pilot with a timely warning that he was about to encounter extreme precipitation and weather along his route of flight or to provide alternative routing to the pilot.