At 21:30 CDT, the pilot of a Beech Sundowner was killed when he lost control in severe weather. Witnesses reported IMC prevailed at the time of the accident but there was no flight plan. Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying about one mile northeast of the Mandan Municipal Airport during a thunderstorm. One of the witnesses said she saw the airplane pitching up and down and rolling left and right violently before losing sight of it due to very heavy rain. The second witness said the wind was so gusty it almost pushed his car off the road. The airplanes ground impact location was in a field, with vegetation bent almost parallel to the ground about 300 feet around the impact point.
June 25, Mandan, N.D. / Beech C-23 Sundowner
At 21:30 CDT, the pilot of a Beech Sundowner was killed when he lost control in severe weather. Witnesses reported IMC prevailed at the time of the accident but there was no flight plan. Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying about one mile northeast of the Mandan Municipal Airport during a thunderstorm. One of the witnesses said she saw the airplane pitching up and down and rolling left and right violently before losing sight of it due to very heavy rain. The second witness said the wind was so gusty it almost pushed his car off the road. The airplanes ground impact location was in a field, with vegetation bent almost parallel to the ground about 300 feet around the impact point...
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot was killed when his Beech Sundowner crashed after losing control in severe weather near Mandan Municipal Airport.
- Witnesses observed the aircraft making violent pitching and rolling maneuvers in IMC conditions during a thunderstorm with very gusty winds.
- No flight plan had been filed for the flight, and the aircraft impacted a field with evidence of significant force.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
