At 14:12 EDT, a Beech Travelair crashed near Shawsville, and the four occupants died. The pilot had been given an IFR clearance and had advised the tower that he had Information Romeo, which contained a HIWAS alert for moderate to occasional severe turbulence below 12,000 feet due to northwesterly winds over rough terrain along the airplanes proposed route of flight. The tower controller asked for a pilot report shortly after clearing the flight to climb to 8,000 feet, but the pilot did not respond and the airplane disappeared from radar. The controller said the airplane had reached an altitude of 6,700 feet before he lost track of the target. Pilots in a Cessna 182, Piper Cherokee and Beech King Air all reported severe turbulence in the area at the time. In addition, the airplane was determined to be 366 pounds overweight, and that center of gravity nearly five inches behind of the maximum allowable aft cg.
Apr. 12, Shawsville, Va. / Beech BE-95A Travelair
At 14:12 EDT, a Beech Travelair crashed near Shawsville, and the four occupants died. The pilot had been given an IFR clearance and had advised the tower that he had Information Romeo, which contained a HIWAS alert for moderate to occasional severe turbulence below 12,000 feet due to northwesterly winds over rough terrain along the airplanes proposed route of flight. The tower controller asked for a pilot report shortly after clearing the flight to climb to 8,000 feet, but the pilot did not respond and the airplane disappeared from radar. The controller said the airplane had reached an altitude of 6,700 feet before he lost track of the target. Pilots in a Cessna 182, Piper Cherokee and...
Key Takeaways:
- A Beech Travelair crashed near Shawsville, killing all four occupants, despite the pilot being aware of a HIWAS alert for moderate to severe turbulence along the route.
- The aircraft disappeared from radar at 6,700 feet after the controller requested a pilot report, with other aircraft in the area confirming severe turbulence.
- Investigators determined the airplane was 366 pounds overweight and its center of gravity was nearly five inches behind the maximum allowable aft limit.
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