The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new video from its Early Analysis series providing an initial examination of a recent tragic accident.
On Oct. 18, 2022, a Beechcraft King Air E-90 crashed into a car dealership parking lot while on short final on an instrument approach into Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (KPKB) in Parkersburg, West Virginia. No one on the ground was injured. However, both pilots onboard the airplane died in the crash.
The King Air had been on a 30-minute flight in instrument meteorological conditions from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (KCMH) in Columbus, Ohio, to Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport. Just minutes before the accident, the flight had been cleared to land.
“In Early Analysis: N515GK, the AOPA Air Safety Institute wants to help pilots understand what is known about the accident as we look at factors that are likely to be a subject of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board,” said AOPA’s ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden.
“We can also use this mishap to remind ourselves that flying into icing conditions can be treacherous,” he said. “Pilots flying aircraft not equipped for flight into known icing must avoid it, and those flying aircraft that are equipped must check the operation of their equipment, understand its limitations, and maintain proficiency on how to use it.”
“Remember, if you inadvertently encounter icing conditions on final approach, keep up your airspeed and don’t use flaps unless you have them already deployed,” McSpadden concluded.
View the video here.
View other Early Analysis videos here.
Had one significant icing encounter on an IFR training flight in a Skyhawk that was totally unexpected and not forecast. It happened enroute on a 50nm flight – departure and destination airports were VFR. When we saw the accumulation beginning we did a 180 (ATC approved) to return to our departure airport which had a long enough runway. We eventually were at full power and only making 70kts but keeping altitude. Stayed flaps up and kept it close to 100kts to the flare. Looooong float but touched down at close to normal touchdown speed (for flaps up) with only very light braking needed to turn off at the end. I think a simulated icing condition with a higher approach speed is something that should be included in the training (at all levels).
I’ve been iced enroute and on final and unable to maintain airspeed or altitude due to extreme prop ice imbalance. Fortunately my rate of decent coincided with the approach end of a runway. And no, you certainly don’t deploy flaps.
Point is, you deal with what you have at the time.
PS; that night flight was two hours into a full all clear good VFR weather briefing.
Again, deal with what you have, there’s no reinventing the wheel.
Question, what effort is required to hold a King Air in a vertical dive?