Update: Report Released on Louisiana Crash That Killed LR Man, Three Others
By: KTVE
Updated: February 8, 2013
Update (February 8):
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the January plane crash in Richwood, Louisiana that killed a Little Rock man and three others.
Mason Maudlin was piloting the plane.
Here is the report summary:
"On January 24, 2013, about 1345 central standard time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) A-36 Bonanza, N980SS, impacted trees and terrain in a wooded area near Richwood, Louisiana, while on an instrument approach for landing at the Monroe Regional Airport (KMLU), Monroe, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and a post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to, and operated by Central Flying Services, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, Subpart K as a fractional ownership personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Beaumont Municipal Airport (KBMT), Beaumont, Texas, at 1225, and was destined for KMLU.
KMLU's air traffic control tower supervisor said that the first contact with the airplane was about 1330 and the accident happened at 1349. He said the airplane came in from the south at 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl). When the airplane was about 33 miles from the airport, the local controller gave the pilot instructions to turn left 15 degrees to intercept the localizer to runway 4 and descend to 2,000 feet msl. The airplane made the turn to intercept the localizer but overshot the inbound course. The airplane was about 2 miles left (north) of course and continuing north when the local controller asked the airplane if he was established on the localizer. The local controller then gave the pilot instructions to turn right 70 degrees to re-intercept the course. The airplane turned onto the localizer. At 4 miles from SABAR, the outer marker and glide slope intercept point for the approach; the pilot was cleared to contact the tower. When the pilot did so, the controller cleared the pilot to land runway 4.
When the pilot told the controller that he was at 3,000 feet, landing clearance was canceled and the controller issued missed approach instructions. Radar data indicates the airplane made a tight right turn to the south. The airplane was at 1,600 feet and 211 knots. The airplane climbed to 1,900 feet, then descended and disappeared from radar. At that time, the airplane was in a tight descending right turn at 1,600 feet and 2 miles inside SABAR at an indicated ground speed of 210 knots (about 240 mph). A short time later, witnesses saw the airplane descending almost vertically at a high rate of speed just prior to losing sight of the airplane in the trees and hearing it impact trees and terrain."
Update (January 28):
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) holds a news conference in Northeast Louisiana today as it investigates a plane crash last week that killed an Arkansas man and three men from Louisiana.
The wreckage from Thursday's crash in Richwood was removed from the site yesterday.
Crews worked Sunday morning to move the wreckage into a hangar at Monroe Regional Airport.
NTSB officials arrived in town Friday afternoon, and were still on-site this weekend examining the scene.
The crash victims were passengers Don Thompson, Dean Hart, Sr. and Max Larche, all from Northeast Louisiana, along with pilot, Mason Maudlin of Little Rock.
The investigation is now in the hands of the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB.
Original story (January 25):
A Little Rock man died in a plane crash in Louisiana on Thursday.
Mason Mauldin was flying a Beechcraft Bonanza with three passengers when it went down in Richwood, La.
There were no survivors.
The three other victims, all from Northeast Louisiana, have been identified as Don Thompson, Dean Hart, Sr. and Max Larche.
According to officials, the flight plan says the plane was carrying four people and was flying in from Beaumont, Texas when it crashed.
Continuing Coverage:
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the January plane crash in Richwood, Louisiana that killed a Little Rock man and three others.
Mason Maudlin was piloting the plane.
Here is the report summary:
"On January 24, 2013, about 1345 central standard time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) A-36 Bonanza, N980SS, impacted trees and terrain in a wooded area near Richwood, Louisiana, while on an instrument approach for landing at the Monroe Regional Airport (KMLU), Monroe, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and a post-crash fire. The airplane was registered to, and operated by Central Flying Services, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, Subpart K as a fractional ownership personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Beaumont Municipal Airport (KBMT), Beaumont, Texas, at 1225, and was destined for KMLU.
KMLU's air traffic control tower supervisor said that the first contact with the airplane was about 1330 and the accident happened at 1349. He said the airplane came in from the south at 7,000 feet mean sea level (msl). When the airplane was about 33 miles from the airport, the local controller gave the pilot instructions to turn left 15 degrees to intercept the localizer to runway 4 and descend to 2,000 feet msl. The airplane made the turn to intercept the localizer but overshot the inbound course. The airplane was about 2 miles left (north) of course and continuing north when the local controller asked the airplane if he was established on the localizer. The local controller then gave the pilot instructions to turn right 70 degrees to re-intercept the course. The airplane turned onto the localizer. At 4 miles from SABAR, the outer marker and glide slope intercept point for the approach; the pilot was cleared to contact the tower. When the pilot did so, the controller cleared the pilot to land runway 4.
When the pilot told the controller that he was at 3,000 feet, landing clearance was canceled and the controller issued missed approach instructions. Radar data indicates the airplane made a tight right turn to the south. The airplane was at 1,600 feet and 211 knots. The airplane climbed to 1,900 feet, then descended and disappeared from radar. At that time, the airplane was in a tight descending right turn at 1,600 feet and 2 miles inside SABAR at an indicated ground speed of 210 knots (about 240 mph). A short time later, witnesses saw the airplane descending almost vertically at a high rate of speed just prior to losing sight of the airplane in the trees and hearing it impact trees and terrain."
Update (January 28):
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) holds a news conference in Northeast Louisiana today as it investigates a plane crash last week that killed an Arkansas man and three men from Louisiana.
The wreckage from Thursday's crash in Richwood was removed from the site yesterday.
Crews worked Sunday morning to move the wreckage into a hangar at Monroe Regional Airport.
NTSB officials arrived in town Friday afternoon, and were still on-site this weekend examining the scene.
The crash victims were passengers Don Thompson, Dean Hart, Sr. and Max Larche, all from Northeast Louisiana, along with pilot, Mason Maudlin of Little Rock.
The investigation is now in the hands of the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB.
Original story (January 25):
A Little Rock man died in a plane crash in Louisiana on Thursday.
Mason Mauldin was flying a Beechcraft Bonanza with three passengers when it went down in Richwood, La.
There were no survivors.
The three other victims, all from Northeast Louisiana, have been identified as Don Thompson, Dean Hart, Sr. and Max Larche.
According to officials, the flight plan says the plane was carrying four people and was flying in from Beaumont, Texas when it crashed.
Continuing Coverage:
