Aero Commander 500-B accident near Burns, OR
On August 11, 2010, an Aero Commander 500-B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Burns, OR. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 11, 2010
- Place
- Burns, OR
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500-B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.659°N, 118.745°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100811X32223
Official records · WPR10FA397
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 11, 2010, about 0855 pacific daylight time, a Rockwell Aero Commander 500-B, N500FV, impacted the terrain about 80 miles south of Burns, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were killed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight, which departed Redding Municipal Airport, Redding California, about 0725, was en route to Butte, Montana. The accident took place in an area where visual meteorological conditions were present from the surface up to about 4,000 feet above the terrain, but where overcast clouds, occasional thunderstorms, lightning, and rain were reported by individuals on the ground both before and after the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of a transmission from an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). At 2014 on the day before the accident, the pilot logged onto the Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS) to obtain a computer generated text weather briefing. He logged onto DUATS again at 0625 on the morning of the accident for another text weather briefing. Around that same time, he had Redding Jet Center top off the airplane's fuel system with 100LL (low lead) aviation fuel, and also had the airplane's supplemental oxygen system filled. At 0701 he contacted Lockheed Martin Flight Service for a telephonic weather briefing, which lasted about ten minutes. He then departed Redding for Butte just prior to the time the control tower began operation at 0730. At 0753 he contacted Seattle Air Route Traffic Con
Probable cause
The non-instrument rated pilot's improper decision to continue flight into an area of known instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain control of the airplane after entering those conditions.
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Browse: Oregon · Aero Commander aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
