Preliminary report suggests ice was a factor in Jabara plane accident

A federal safety regulator’s preliminary report suggests ice may have been a factor in a January airplane accident at Jabara Airport.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, a Socata TBM 700 single-engine turboprop airplane landed short of the general aviation airport’s runway and came to rest with part of its nose buried in the ground. The pilot and passenger were not injured.

A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report said the airplane, operated by Premier Furnace Specialists in Michigan, was flying from Clarinda, Iowa, to Wichita on business.

The report said that after takeoff from Iowa the pilot was notified of icing conditions along the route to Wichita and activated equipment to prevent ice buildup on the airplane.

“During the descent into (Jabara), the pilot observed ice accumulating on the leading edges of the wings, but the de-ice boots appeared to be operating to keep the leading edges of the wings clear,” the report said.

But as the pilot guided the airplane closer to the north end of Jabara, exited instrument meteorological conditions and descended to about 1,000 feet above ground level, “he noticed the airplane shudder, with an immediate increase in sink rate,” the report said.

The pilot told investigators he then applied full power to the airplane’s engine, “but the airplane continued to descend.”

With its landing gear extended, the airplane touched down 1,463 feet from the runway’s northern threshold, and skidded 460 feet until its landing gear caught a groundhog hole. The airplane had “substantial” damage from the landing, including to its firewall and wing spar, the report said.

The report also noted that at the time of the accident the National Weather Service had issued an advisory to pilots of moderate icing conditions along the route the Socata pilot had flown.

This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Preliminary report suggests ice was a factor in Jabara plane accident."