Truckee TBM 960 Crash in Icing Conditions 30 March 2024
Summary
TLDRA 2022 Daher TBM 960 aircraft crashed at Truckee Airport during an instrument approach in icy conditions with visibility below minimums. The flight was on autopilot, attempting a missed approach when it spiraled into a crash at nearly 11,000 ft per minute. The accident resulted in two fatalities and raised concerns about the aircraft's anti-icing capabilities and the pilot's decision to attempt the approach in severe weather, highlighting the risks of flying in such conditions.
Takeaways
- ✈️ A 2022 Daher TBM 960 aircraft crashed at Truckee Airport during an instrument approach in icing conditions.
- 🌨️ The weather at the time was below minimums with calm winds, low visibility, and snowing conditions.
- 🛫 The aircraft departed from Denver's Centennial Airport and was returning to Truckee, where it was based.
- 😔 The crash resulted in two fatalities, with both occupants of the aircraft losing their lives.
- 📉 The ADS-B data showed the aircraft attempted a missed approach, climbing briefly before losing control.
- 🗺️ The aircraft's flight path involved a right-hand turn during the missed approach, followed by a rapid descent.
- 🧊 Severe icing conditions were likely a contributing factor, potentially overwhelming the aircraft's deicing capabilities.
- 📡 The aircraft was on autopilot throughout most of the flight, which can mask changing aerodynamic conditions due to icing.
- 📉 The aircraft crashed onto railroad tracks near the airport after failing to climb adequately during the missed approach.
- 📑 Investigators will look into whether icing or loss of control was the primary cause of the accident, along with the pilot's experience and the aircraft's recent flight history.
Q & A
What type of aircraft was involved in the accident at Truckee Airport?
-A 2022 Daher TBM 960, a single-engine turboprop aircraft.
What was the owner-operator of the aircraft?
-The owner-operator was Avam Enterprises LLC.
What was the tail number of the aircraft?
-The tail number was November 960 Lima Papa.
How many fatalities were there in the accident?
-There were two fatalities, both occupants on board.
Where did the aircraft depart from before the accident?
-The aircraft departed from Denver's Centennial Airport.
What was the aircraft attempting when the accident occurred?
-The aircraft was attempting an instrument approach in icing conditions with weather below minimums.
What was the weather condition at the time of the accident?
-The weather was reported as calm winds, 1/2 mile visibility, snowing, overcast at 900 feet, with a temperature of -1°C and a dew point of -1°C.
What was the aircraft's final position before the crash?
-The aircraft was found on the railroad tracks next to Glennshire Drive and Olympic Boulevard, just north of the airport.
What approach procedure was the aircraft following before the accident?
-The aircraft was following the LP (Localizer Performance) MDA approach for Runway 20 at Truckee Airport.
What are the minimum visibility requirements for the LP MDA approach at Truckee Airport?
-The minimum visibility requirement for the LP MDA approach is 1 mile.
What was the reported visibility at the time of the accident compared to the approach requirement?
-The reported visibility at the time of the accident was 1/2 mile, which is below the required 1 mile for the LP MDA approach.
What is the significance of the airworthiness directive 98422 mentioned in the script?
-Airworthiness directive 98422 provides guidelines on the hazards of flying in icing conditions, especially when the conditions exceed those for which the airplane is certified.
Why is the use of autopilot prohibited in severe icing conditions according to the directive?
-The use of autopilot is prohibited in severe icing conditions because it may mask the tactile cues that indicate adverse changes in the handling characteristics of the aircraft, leading to potential loss of control.
What is the aircraft's anti-icing and deicing capability?
-The aircraft is equipped with de-ice boots for flying into known icing conditions and an automatic deicing system that can turn on all anti-icing and deicing equipment if needed.
What is the potential risk of flying in severe icing conditions for turboprop aircraft?
-Turboprop aircraft are generally subjected to heavier icing conditions than other types of aircraft, and the same icing conditions that may be moderate or light for an airliner can quickly develop into severe icing for a turboprop, potentially overwhelming the aircraft's anti-icing and deicing systems.
Outlines
🛩️ Aviation Accident Report: TBM 960 Crash at Truckee Airport
The script details a tragic aviation accident involving a 2022 Dahr TBM 960 aircraft that crashed at Truckee Airport during an instrument approach in icing conditions with weather below minimums. The aircraft, owned by Avam Enterprises LLC, was attempting to return to its home airport when the accident occurred. The pilot, Juan Brown, discusses the accident's timeline, the aircraft's autopilot engagement, and the challenging mountain instrument approach that led to a stall and crash. The data from Flight Radar 24 and ADS-B Exchange indicates the aircraft's flight path, descent, and climb before the crash. The weather conditions, including calm winds, half a mile visibility, and snow, are noted, along with the aircraft's final moments captured by Flyware.
📊 Analysis of the Accident Flight Path and Approach Procedure
This paragraph delves into the flight data analysis, highlighting the aircraft's performance during the missed approach procedure. The script discusses the localizer performance MDA approach, the aircraft's autopilot modes, and the weather conditions at the time of the accident. It mentions the aircraft's struggle to climb out of the valley, the restrictions on circling approaches at night, and the potential issues with severe icing conditions. The use of Google Earth and KML data to visualize the flight path and the aircraft's maneuvers before losing control is also described.
❄️ The Role of Icing Conditions in the Accident Investigation
The script focuses on the potential role of severe icing conditions in the accident. It discusses the aircraft's anti-icing and deicing capabilities, the limitations of flying in known icing conditions, and the airworthiness directive that advises against flying in severe icing conditions with the autopilot engaged. The hazards of severe icing are emphasized, including the risk of autopilot disconnection and the increased stall speed due to ice accumulation. The aircraft's flight history and the pilot's experience are highlighted as crucial factors for the investigation.
🚁 A Closer Look at the TBM 960 and its Avionics
This paragraph provides an overview of the TBM 960, a single-engine turboprop aircraft equipped with advanced avionics and anti-icing systems. The script discusses the aircraft's capabilities for single-pilot IFR operations and its automatic deicing system. It also mentions the Garmin 3000 Series avionics and the challenges of flying in the weather conditions present at Truckee Airport on the day of the accident. The airworthiness directive 98422 is referenced, providing a reminder of the importance of visual cues and the prohibition of autopilot use in severe icing conditions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡TBM 960
💡Instrument Approach
💡Missed Approach
💡Icing Conditions
💡Autopilot
💡Localizer Performance MDA
💡Airworthiness Directive
💡Stall
💡ADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast)
💡Glennshire Drive and Olympic Boulevard
💡High Sierra
Highlights
A 2022 Daher TBM 960 aircraft crashed at Truckee Airport during an instrument approach in icing conditions with weather below minimums.
The accident occurred during the missed approach portion of the instrument approach procedure.
The aircraft, owned by Avam Enterprises LLC, was destroyed with two fatalities on board.
The aircraft departed from Denver's Centennial Airport and was attempting to return to Truckee, California.
ADSB track data indicates the aircraft stopped its descent at 6,500 ft and then climbed to 7,200 ft before the crash.
The aircraft was on autopilot throughout most of the flight, including during the approach and missed approach.
Truckee Airport is located in the High Sierra, surrounded by higher terrain, posing challenges for pilots.
Weather at the time of the accident included calm winds, 1/2 mile visibility, snowing, and overcast at 900 ft.
The aircraft was found on railroad tracks next to Glennshire Drive and Olympic Boulevard, just north of the airport.
The pilot was attempting an LP MDA approach, which brings the aircraft down to 6,480 ft regardless of category.
The weather conditions at the time were below the minimums required for the instrument approach.
The aircraft's flight history suggests a lot of recent experience flying out of Truckee Airport.
The TBM 960 is a single-engine turboprop aircraft with advanced avionics and anti-icing/deicing capabilities.
The aircraft is not certified for severe icing conditions, which may have overwhelmed its anti-icing and deicing systems.
Airworthiness Directive 98422 advises against autopilot use in severe icing conditions due to the risk of sudden disconnect.
Investigators will look for perishable evidence of icing on the aircraft and the pilot's decision-making process.
The accident highlights the hazards of flying in icing conditions, even with aircraft equipped for such conditions.
Transcripts
breaking overnight a 2022 daher TBM 960
aircraft went down at the trucky airport
while attempting an instrument approach
in icing conditions with the weather
below minimums the accident occurred on
the missed approach portion of the
instrument approach procedure here's
what we know so far my name is Juan
Brown you're watching The Blanco Lio
channel it's Sunday the 31st of March
starting with the aviation safety
Network Saturday 30 March 2024 sakata
TBM 700n 960 avam Enterprises LLC is the
owner operator tail number November 960
Lima Papa a 2022 model of aircraft two
fatalities two occupants on board the
aircraft departed Denver's Centennial
Airport and was attempting to return
home to their home airport here at
trucky California where this aircraft is
apparently based a dahar TBM 700
airplane was destroyed when it was
involved in an accident near the trucky
airport two F alties at this point it
appears the aircraft was executing the
go round missed approach for Runway 20
following the use of the rnav GPS
approach via the way point wooda we'll
look at that in a moment this is the
same instrument approach that took that
led the crew of a Challenger jet um into
a series of pilot errors that led to a
stall crash situation in trucky a couple
of years ago this is a very tricky
Mountain instrument approach especially
in low visibility conditions the adsb
track data shows the aircraft stopped
its descend at 6,500 ft approximately a
half mile to the north of the airport
which is the uh LP that's localizer
performance MDA minimum altitude the
aircraft appears to then climb to an
altitude of only 7200 ft while making
180 degree turn overhead the airport to
a bearing of 010 which is the m approach
procedure the published M approach
procedure followed shortly by a left
hand stalling spiral into the crash
location at nearly 11,000 ft per
minute let's look at the data here at
Flight Radar 24 the flight departed at
Denver's Centennial Airport and was
attempting to return to the trucky
airport a total flight time of just over
3 hours about 3 hours and 15 minutes a
quick look at the graph data from
FlightAware 24 indicates to me that the
aircraft was on autopilot throughout
most if not all of this
flight looking over here on the adsb
exchange they're reporting that nav
modes at the time of the accident that
were being used by the aircraft were
autopilot on vertical nav approach and
lateral nav the trucky airport is
located here in the High Sierra just
north of Lake Tahoe in the Maris Valley
at about the 6,000 FT
elevation the accident aircraft was
found on the railroad tracks next to
glennshire drive and Olympic bullet
Boulevard just north of the
airport the trucky airport Martis Valley
is surrounded by much higher
terrain weather at the time of the
accident was reported calm winds one
half statue mile of visibility snowing
overcast at 900 temperature minus 01
celsi both temperature and dupoint minus
01 if we look at the last couple of data
points on flyware we see the aircraft
ascending on autopilot on the instrument
approach down to a minimum altitude of
6,475 Ft which is very close to the
minimum altitude for the instrument
approach which we'll look at in a minute
and then begin a misted approach
climbing to about 7,000 ft and starting
the right hand turn to the north with
the last data point here on flyware
being
7,175 ft climbing at 1,000 ft per minute
and 167 mph ground
speed if we zoom in on the data here on
the Flight Radar 24 we can see a fairly
stabilized approach though rather High
Ground speed coming into the Arnav on
Runway
20 about 800 feet per minute rate of
descent 123 knots 120 knots 110
knots starting the missed approach
climbing 7,000
ft well descending 320 ft per minute
right
there descending 1100 ft per minute at
7,000 ft this is on the right hand
missed approach going right over the
runway at
trucky 6,900 ft minus 1800 ft per minute
154 knots ground
speed minus 1,000 ft per minute gets it
leveled off starts a climb at 320 ft per
minute 155 knots ground speed still only
6,900
ft
832t per minute rate of climb, 1500t per
minute rate of climb still right around
7,000
ft 2300t per minute rate of
climb 144
knots 1300t per minute rate of climb 147
knots now we lose control of the
aircraft minus nearly 5,000 ft per
minute at 154 knots ground speed and
there's nearly 11,000 ft per minute down
at 140
knots last data
point here's the instrument approach for
the Arnav GPS Runway 20 at trucky first
off try's Tower is open only certain
hours of the day and closes very near to
the time of this accident this accident
occurred about 700 p.m. last night just
before Sunset and just right around the
time the tower was open or closed so
investigators will find out pretty quick
whether the tower was open or closed
they'll get any and all the ATC tapes
that they can get it appears that the
pilot was attempting the lp MDA approach
that's this localizer performance MDA
which brings you down to 6,480 Ft
regardless of which category you're in A
B C or D now the TBM should be able to
be a category A or B aircraft based on
its vref but the pilot was flying very
high speeds putting him up in the
category
C or better regardless the minimums for
this approach is 1 mile visibility and
the weather at the time was 1/ half mile
visibility so this is something you can
do in F part 91 it's assumed that this
was an F part 991 flight is that you are
allowed to take a peak or you are
allowed to attempt an instrument
approach even though the weather is
below minimums for that instrument
approach this is something that cannot
be done in the F part 121 Airline world
so as we learned from the Challenger
crash there's a lot of gotchas on this
approach it's localizer performance is
basically a non-precision approach it's
going to bring you down to a dive or
drive sort of condition and the visual
descent Point located right here just
7/10 of a mile from wub is going to put
you pretty high to complete the Final
Approach and landing on Runway 20 it's
going to put you at a 3 and 1/2 degree
visual Glide slope angle to add to the
complexity of this near Sunset the vaszi
for Runway 20 was notm closed so you
don't have the lights of the visual
approach lights to assist you for the
landing on Runway
20 now if you want a circle out of this
approach land on some of the other
runways well there's a lot of
restrictions on that as well circling up
here in the upper left corner circling
to Runway 211 and 29 not approved at
night well this was right at Sunset
circling not approved for category C
remember he's flying high higher speeds
than than uh the aircraft is capable of
possibly because of the icing
conditions circling not authorized for
category C south of Runway 29 and east
of Runway
20 another fine print item when local
altimeter settings not received the
entire procedure is not
authorized and another thing this this
approach brings you in at an angle to
Runway 20 you're coming in on a 182
inbound course to Runway 20 and you'll
you will be dropped off just left of the
runway as was found in his
tracks and here in the upper right we
see the missed approach the publish
missed approach procedure which it looks
like he was flying exactly missed
approach do not exceed 200 knots until
gr the idea is to do a climbing right
hand turned to gr climb right turned a
12,000 ft direct gr and and track 016 to
a WEA and hold and that's about where
the crash occurred was on the right hand
turn portion of the missed
approach if we take the KML data from
the adsb data and transpose it here on
to Google Earth we can get a good
picture of this flight path so here he
is on autopilot flying the Arnav 20
approach and it brings you
in just as the instrument approach
procedure explains to the left of Runway
20 and off at a bit of an angle and then
he commences the Mist approach procedure
as published and then loses control of
the aircraft right here crashing onto
the railroad tracks if we look at this
in
3D and tilt this
down we can see the aircraft just barely
beginning to climb not climbing much at
all during this entire missed approach
procedure which brings up another point
if he's using the localizer performance
MDA with this Aster you're taking it
down to 6,480 Ft you're down pretty deep
in the hole and that missed approach
requires a minimum climb of 270 ft per
nautical mile to 7700 ft so you got to
climb up and out of that Valley
quickly but looking at this Google Earth
data adsb data it appears that this was
a situation of a loss of aircraft
control and not a case of SE fit or
controlled flight into
terrain if we Bend The Heading around a
little
bit it's important that the aircraft
climb quickly and out to the right
because of the higher terrain located
just south of the airport so here we are
south of the airport looking to the
north where he starts his 180° turn to
the North and then losing control of the
aircraft somewhere right about in
here if we look at this aircraft's
flight history out of trucky it has been
flying a lot out of the trucky airport
so a lot of recency of experience which
investigators are going to need to find
out was this all just private flying by
the owner or is this aircraft on some
sort of a lease back is it being
chartered out is it being flown by other
Pilots or were all these flights flown
by the pilot that was involved in the
accident that's a lot of flying and a
lot of recency of flying
experience the aircraft involved in the
accident was this 2022 TBM 960 this is
one of
the latest model design aircraft single
engine turbo prop aircraft using the
pt6a engine and is very well equipped
for single pilot IFR operations some of
the most demanding flying out there in
aviation today looking at the Leading
Edge of the aircraft you can see the
anti-icing and deicing capability of
this aircraft this aircraft is equipped
with de ice boots so it can fly into
known icing conditions however these
aircraft are not to be flown in severe
icing conditions there's an
airworthiness directive that prevents
these aircraft from flying into severe
icing conditions the problem is
turboprop aircraft are generally
subjected to heavier icing conditions
than many other types of aircraft if you
get a pyre from an airliner type
aircraft about icing they're they might
report moderate or light icing whereas
for that same turbo or for a turbo prop
aircraft that same icing May quickly
develop into severe icing and the kind
of weather conditions we had here
yesterday could have easily developed
into severe icing
conditions the problem with severe icing
conditions on these aircraft is that the
icing conditions can simply overwhelm
the anti-icing and deicing capability of
the aircraft and also in this
airworthiness directive it is advised
that if you get into severe ice ing
conditions where icing is forming behind
the boots of the aircraft you are to
turn the autopilot off the big problem
with getting caught in icing conditions
with the autopilot on is the autopilot
can mask the conditions the flying
characteristics of the aircraft as the
ice continues to accumulate on the
aircraft faster than the anti-icing and
deicing systems can remove it the
aerodynamic characteristics of the
aircraft begin to change and the auto
aut pilot will continue to fight that
until which point the autopilot can no
longer handle the out ofrim condition
and the autopilot will suddenly
disconnect from the aircraft and it's
quite easy or quite possible that to get
the aircraft into a stalled condition at
a very high air speed in icing
conditions because that's one of the
first things icing conditions does is
raises your stall speed increases your
stall speed and or you can get into a
stall of the tail of the aircraft as
well now this is one of the neat
features I found in this particular
aircraft it it does have an automatic
deicing system and this is one of the
great things about this design is it's
made a lot of things very automatic to
ease the pilot workload in these sort of
conditions including an automatic
deicing system on board the aircraft
which will effectively turn on all your
anti-icing and deicing equipment if in
the event the pilot forget gets to
because he may very well be overloaded
with all the things he has to deal with
as a single Pilot Flying an IFR
conditions this aircraft also comes
complete with all the very latest Garmin
3000 Series of avionics to help you deal
with instrument flying
conditions but the weather conditions
out of trucky yesterday were very
conducive to icing conditions and
potential severe icing conditions with
this low pressure area located just off
the coast pumping in moisture cold
moisture from the north coming around
and wrapping
up and spilling moisture and icing right
over the trucky airport area in the High
Sierra here's a copy of that
airworthiness directive
98422 and is just a great reminder for
all of us about the hazards of flying in
icing conditions even with an aircraft
that is capable of flying in icing
conditions
during severe icing conditions that
exceed those for which the airplane is
certified shall be determined by the
following visual cues accumulation of
ice on the upper surface of the wing
after the protected area unusually
extensive ice accumulation on the
airframe and windshield in areas that
are not normally observed to collect ice
since the autopilot when installed and
operating May mask the tactile cues that
indicate adverse changes in the handling
characteristics use of the autopilot is
prohibited when any of the visual cues
spe specified above exist or when
unusual lateral trim requirments or
autopilot trim warnings are encountered
while the airplane is in icing
conditions so they say if you get into
severe icing conditions if the autopilot
is engaged hold the control wheel firmly
and disengage the
autopilot and then you need to get out
of the icing conditions you shouldn't
even be getting yourself into these
icing conditions but it'll be up to
investigators to determine what sort of
information the pilot had at the time
before he attempted this instrument
approach into trucky California and
investigators will be looking for the
perishable evidence of icing airframe
Icing on the aircraft if First
Responders got any pictures of the
airframe shortly after it crashed that
could be a great help for investigators
to help determine if this icing was a
contributing factor to the crash or if
this was simply a loss of control of the
airc
while flying the Mist
approach thank you so much for your
support of this channel especially the
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