ASN Aircraft accident Beechcraft B100 King Air N729MS Benavides, TX
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Monday 26 October 2009
Time:11:43
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE10 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Beechcraft B100 King Air
Operator:Mazak Properties Inc.
Registration: N729MS
MSN: BE-2
First flight: 1976
Engines: 2 Garrett TPE331-6-252B
Crew:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Passengers:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Total:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:10 km (6.3 mls) N of Benavides, TX (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Uvalde-Garner Field, TX (UVA/KUVA), United States of America
Destination airport:Leesburg International Airport, FL (LEE/KLEE), United States of America
Narrative:
A Beech B100 King Air, N729MS, registered to Mazak Properties, and operated by a private pilot, impacted terrain after encountering severe weather near Benavides, Texas. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Garner Field Airport (KUVA) Uvalde, Texas, and was destined for Leesburg International Airport (KLEE), Leesburg, Florida.
The pilot obtained three weather briefings before departure. At that time, the current weather along the route of flight showed significant convective activity and a moving squall line, and the forecast predicted significant thunderstorm activity along the planned route of flight. The pilot was concerned about the weather and mentioned that he would be looking for "holes" in the weather to manoeuvre around via the use of his on-board weather radar. He decided to fly a route further south to avoid the severe weather. Radar data indicates that, after departure, the pilot flew a southerly course that was west of the severe weather before he asked air traffic control for a 150-degree heading that would direct him toward a "hole" in the weather. A controller, who said he also saw a "hole" in the weather, told the pilot to fly a 120-degree heading and proceed direct to a fix along his route of flight. The airplane flew into a line of very heavy to intense thunderstorms during cruise flight at 25,000 feet before the airplane began to lose altitude and reverse course. The airplane then entered a rapid descent, broke up in flight, and subsequently impacted terrain.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to avoid severe weather, and the air traffic controller's failure to provide adverse weather avoidance assistance, as required by Federal Aviation Administration directives, both of which led to the airplane's encounter with a severe thunderstorm and the subsequent loss of control and inflight breakup of the airplane."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Accident number: CEN10FA028
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Thunderstorm
Loss of control

Sources:
» NTSB


Photos

photo of Beechcraft-B100-King-Air-N729MS
accident date: 26-10-2009
type: Beechcraft B100 King Air
registration: N729MS
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Uvalde-Garner Field, TX to Leesburg International Airport, FL as the crow flies is 1732 km (1082 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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