Accident · 2013-11-29

What the record says

Event date

2013-11-29

Event type

Accident

Highest injury level

Fatal injury

Aircraft

CESSNA 208B (N12373)

Operating rule

Part 135

Operator

Hageland Aviation Services, Inc. Operator named in NTSB report

Operated by (per NTSB report)

Hageland Aviation

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to initiate a visual flight rules approach into an area of instrument meteorological conditions at night and the flight coordinators' release of the flight without discussing the risks with the pilot, which resulted in the pilot experiencing a loss of situational awareness and subsequent controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were the operator's inadequate procedures for operational control and flight release and its inadequate training and oversight of operational control personnel. Also contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to hold the operator accountable for correcting known operational deficiencies and ensuring compliance with its operational control procedures.

Flight crew

Certification and experience as recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event. The NTSB records these facts about the crew's flying history; GroundCheck shows them as filed, without names or identities.