April Accidents

From time to time we look at weather accidents, reviewing the factors that might have led to poor decision making or perhaps even weather that could not be anticipated. In this edition well take a look at the crash of a Pitts biplane in IMC conditions in California, and a Beechcraft Baron that went down in bad weather in Kentucky. Both of these incidents took place in April, so they should give you some food for thought this time of year.

Tim Vasquez

Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Pilot Jeff Hansen with his dog, Daisy. Hansen's Tree Service and Environmental Resources

Key Takeaways:

The Pitts biplane crash exemplified the dangers of an experienced pilot continuing visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in mountainous terrain without a proper weather briefing, leading to disorientation and failure to maintain terrain clearance.
The Beechcraft Baron accident highlighted the severe risks of clear icing, as the pilot climbed into known icing conditions despite a comprehensive weather briefing, resulting in a loss of control due to airframe ice accumulation.
Both incidents underscore the critical importance for pilots to proactively visualize weather patterns, understand terrain's impact on local conditions, and meticulously process all available weather information to identify and avoid the most significant hazards.

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From time to time we look at weather accidents, reviewing the factors that might have led to poor decision making or perhaps even weather that could not be anticipated. In this edition we’ll take a look at the crash of a Pitts biplane in IMC conditions in California, and a Beechcraft Baron that went down in bad weather in Kentucky. Both of these incidents took place in April, so they should give you some food for thought this time of year.

Springtime in Lebec

We bring you first the puzzling case of a biplane, a Robert C. Hanson Pitts S2E, that departed Bakersfield in VFR conditions but flew through a mountain pass, allowing the weather to close in around it. What is noteworthy is it was flown by an experienced airline pilot, age 36 with 8200 flight hours and type ratings in the A320, Beechjet BE-400, Hawker HS-125, and a few other business jets. Two weeks before the accident, the pilot had received an endorsement in an S2E that covered most important procedures.