LAX08FA026

The pilot's failure to maintain a positive climb rate during an instrument takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the low visibility.

The reported weather at the time of the accident was calm winds, a 1/4-mile visibility in fog and a vertical visibility of 100 feet. Shortly after takeoff for the instrument-flight-rules flight, the airplane made a slight turn to the left and impacted the tops of 25-foot trees about a 1/2 mile from the runway. An enhanced ground proximity warning system was installed on the airplane and data extraction from the system indicated that the airplane achieved an initial positive climb profile with a slight turn to the left and then a descent. A witness reported hearing the crash and observed the right wing impact the ground and burst into flames. The airplane then cartwheeled for several hundred feet before coming to rest inverted. The airframe, engines, and propeller assemblies were inspected with no mechanical anomalies noted that would have precluded normal flight.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 6, 2007, at 0918 Pacific standard time, a Beech A100 (King Air), N30GC, impacted trees about 3/4 mile from the departure end of runway 26R at Chino Airport (CNO), Chino, California. The wreckage came to rest inverted in an open field located on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facility near the airport. The owner operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a business flight. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial instrument rated pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed from CNO to Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS), Visalia, California. Responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors were informed by friends of the owner that he has flown to Visalia at least once a week to oversee a business that he operates. The accident pilot was not the regular pilot for the company, but was named on the insurance policy as an approved pilot-in-command. A witness, located at the youth authority facility at the CDCR parking lot, about 150 yards northeast of the main wreckage, reported hearing a crashing sound. When he looked to the south, he saw the accident airplane impact the ground on its right side. A portion of the right wing and engine struck the ground and "burst into flames." The airplane then cartwheeled and came to rest upside down about 100 yards from where he first observed the airplane impact the ground. He notified the CDCR control tower of the accident and responded to the site to render aid to the occupants of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, additional CDCR officers responded to the site and put out the fire located at the left engine area. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of FAA airman and medical records on file in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed that the 66-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued on September 02, 2007. It had the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses and possess glasses for near and distant vision. According to the primary pilot for the airplane owner, the accident pilot had worked for the company for a little over a year. Examination of the pilot's logbook indicated an estimated total flight time of 3,133.4 hours. He logged 24.6 hours in the King Air in the last 90 days, and 2.9 hours in the last 30 days. He had an estimated 76.8 hours in this make and model. The pilot recorded in his logbook a total of 77.9 hours of actual instrument time, which included 2.5 hours of actual instrument time, and 8.7 hours of night flight in the accident airplane since August 2006. During that same time period, the pilot flew 42 instrument approach and landings, with 11 instrument approach and landings in the accident airplane. The pilot recorded one instrument approach and landing in the preceding 90 days prior to the accident. The pilot completed a flight review on August 8, 2007. As part of the accident pilot's recurrent training, he attended the SIMCOM Training Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2006 and 2007. According to the pilot's logbook, he had satisfactorily completed an instrument proficiency check (FAR 61.57(d)) on October 25, 2007. The SIMCOM training is designed specifically for the King Air, and included instrument proficiency. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a 1973 Beech A100, serial number B-177. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed a total airframe time of 11,848.8 hours at the last phase inspection, which was completed on June 16, 2007. Left Engine A Pratt and Whitney-Canada PT6A-28 serial number PCE-51364 turbo-prop engine was installed on the left side. Total time on the left engine at the last phase inspection, dated June 16, 2007, was 10,056 hours. Right Engine A Pratt and Whitney-Canada PT6A-28 serial number PCE-PG-0045 turbo-prop engine was installed on the right side. Total time on the right engine at the last phase inspection, dated June 16, 2007, was 2,469.7 hours. The airplane was equipped with two 4-bladed Hartzell Propeller Inc., propeller assemblies. According to the FAA's airworthiness registration paperwork, on July 30, 1992, Hartzell/Raisbeck Quiet Turbofan Propellers were installed on the airplane in accordance with supplemental type certificate from Raisbeck Engineering number SA5661NM. On May 26, 2005, new Hartzell propellers (left serial number FY2715 and right serial number 2717) were installed on the airplane. A Bendix/King (Honeywell) enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) KGP 560, was installed on the airplane. Fueling records at Champion Air Services at CNO indicated that the airplane was last fueled on November 6 with the addition of 51 gallons of Jet-A aviation fuel. Examination of the maintenance and flight department records revealed no unresolved maintenance discrepancies against the airplane prior to departure. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 0924, shortly after the accident occurred, Chino airport recorded the following weather conditions: winds were calm; visibility was 1/4 mile in fog; the vertical visibility was 100 feet; the temperature was 11 degrees Celsius; dew point was 11 degrees Celsius; and the altimeter setting was 30.03 inches of Mercury. The 0853 aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported calm wind conditions; 1 /4 mile visibility, fog, an indefinite ceiling at 100 feet; the temperature was 11 degrees Celsius; dew point was 11 degrees Celsius; and altimeter setting 30.03 inches of Mercury. (A full meteorological report is appended to this report) COMMUNICATIONS At 0846, the morning of the accident, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan with the San Diego Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS). The pilot requested to file an IFR flight plan and asked if there were any TFR's (temporary flight restrictions) along his route of flight. At 0849, when the AFSS briefer asked if there was anything else, the pilot indicated that he had gotten his weather off of the internet and that everything looks "like I am in good shape as far as that goes other than getting out of Chino." The briefer replied that it looked like Chino had, "a little bit of a haze situation still in the San Joaquin valley but that's all that's going on." At 0908, ATC transcripts for CNO indicated that the pilot called for his IFR clearance and was advised it was on request. He then asked if weather information ROMEO was still current. The ground controller (GC) advised that information SIERRA was current with a 1 /4 mile visibility and fog. The GC asked what the pilot's intentions were, to which the pilot replied that he wanted to get his clearance and depart as soon as possible. The GC issued taxi instructions to the active runway. At 0912, the GC called SCT requesting the accident airplane's IFR clearance. Two minutes later, the GC issued the IFR clearance to the pilot and advised the pilot to contact the tower for departure. At 0915, the pilot contacted CNO ATC and requested a departure and squawk code. After receiving a release from SCT Pomona sector, CNO ATC cleared the accident airplane for takeoff, with a read back of the clearance by the pilot. At 0918, CNO ATC attempted to contact the accident pilot three times, with no response from the pilot. CNO ATC contacted SCT Pomona Sector and asked if they were speaking to the pilot; SCT replied that they were not in contact with the pilot. CNO ATC advised that he thought the airplane was down west of the airport. At 0922, the SCT supervisor called CNO ATC and asked if emergency equipment had been sent to the site. CNO personnel replied that all equipment had been sent the site. At 0922:49, SCT Pomona sector asked if he went right off into the fog,