N252DL Cessna 310 Texas 1/14

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Any info on this one other than tragic loss of 3 family members. Appears coming in below weather, cold, wet. Clean wing from pix.
 
www.wcmessenger.com

Local doctor, two children killed in plane crash - Wise County Messenger

A local doctor was one of three people reportedly killed in a plane crash Sunday afternoon in Parker County. Dr. Heath Smith, a surgeon affiliated My Bariatric Solutions, and two children were pronounced dead at the scene on Lone Star Road and BJ Lane near Poolville. The crash occurred at about...
www.wcmessenger.com www.wcmessenger.com
 
KMWL 141824Z AUTO 35009G17KT 10SM OVC031 M11/M19 A3028 RMK AO2 T11061194
KXBP 141815Z AUTO 02006KT 10SM OVC030 M11/M21 A3034 RMK AO2 T11101215

G-AIRMET was in effect for icing from the surface to FL220
Most cloud forecasts along the route (the entire area, really) showed bases anywhere from 020 to 030 MSL, tops FL270 to FL320. Not sure if there were breaks or layers.
Several PIREPS for light rime icing at 030 and 040 in the DFW complex, also over around ABI, same altitudes.

This aircraft was on a shallow descent from 075 just prior.

Not saying icing is causal, but it's a sketchy situation regardless if the aircraft was non-FIKI. From the few pictures I could find of the accident aircraft, I couldn't discern any boots.
 
Flying Keys said:
Not saying icing is causal, but it's a sketchy situation regardless if the aircraft was non-FIKI. From the few pictures I could find of the accident aircraft, I couldn't discern any boots.
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The FAA registry says that N252DL is a 1975 Cessna 310R, serial number 310R0242. The same plane was previously N5122J, until maybe 2015. I wonder if it was painted then, and note that repainting is an opportune time to remove deicing boots, which some people hate because they slow the plane down.

The 310R has three possible deicing systems. None at all, "full de-ice," and FIKI. Only later serial numbers could be FIKI. I can't remember or find the serial number range that is FIKI-eligible right now, but I am very confident it started after #242. The difference between full de-ice and FIKI is that the FIKI planes have additional wing boots inboard of the engine nacelles and a hot plate on the windshield instead of alcohol sprayers. They both have boots on the horizontal stabilizer and on the wings outboard of the engine nacelles along with electric deice boots on the propeller blades. None of the 310s should be in icing conditions for longer than it takes the pilot to find an escape route.

If the last flight on FlightAware is the mishap flight, which it appears to be, I think they were IFR at 7000 feet. And there are two huge speed spikes that have to have been instrumentation error, otherwise those spikes make me think they flew through two pretty severe updrafts along the way.

If they were indeed IFR, there will be at least some ATC communications that might help the investigation.
 
FIKI for the 310R started about 1978. IIRC, the FIKI birds also had a boot on the vertical fin, where the earlier "deiced" birds did not.
 
Kristin said:
FIKI for the 310R started about 1978. IIRC, the FIKI birds also had a boot on the vertical fin, where the earlier "deiced" birds did not.
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I'm gonna say FIKI started with 1977 R models; when I flew night freight in 310s we had a fleet of '75-79 year models. The '77-79 ships were FIKI certified. Not to be nitpicky though...
 
Kristin said:
FIKI for the 310R started about 1978. IIRC, the FIKI birds also had a boot on the vertical fin, where the earlier "deiced" birds did not.
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I think you're right about the vertical fin. IceShield sells a boot for the vertical fin on serial numbers 801 and up. That would match @jbDC9's post regarding the 1977 model year. Incidentally, the IceShield part numbers are different for the lower serial numbers and higher serial numbers, even on the places where they both have boots. I don't know if that means the boots differ or just that IceShield's certifications differ.
 
jbDC9 said:
I'm gonna say FIKI started with 1977 R models; when I flew night freight in 310s we had a fleet of '75-79 year models. The '77-79 ships were FIKI certified. Not to be nitpicky though...
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It may have, perhaps mid-year. Might also be that Cessna starts producing the next model year, in the later months of the previous year, like the automakers do, and some aircraft manufacturers do, i.e. Piper.
 
310RIT310R 1975 thru 1976 3l0R0001 thru 310R0735 are not FIKI according to Cessna Service Bulletin MEB97–4
 
What am I missing on this one. Looks like a gradual controlled decent into terrain. Below published RNAV MSA no where IAF.
Speed doesn’t appear to be diminished due to icing and trying to maintain altitude. Looks very controlled as if it was a visual approach to the airport. But apparently not in VMC. Perhaps ATC tapes provide something more.
 
yeah I remember last sunday down here. Wet and the beginning of the "artic front" for the tail end (Central TX). There were icing sigmets from the surface to the flight levels. The region had tons of moisture at just the right temp. That was a terrible afternoon to be aloft below 10k around here.

Talked it over with my buddy Occam, we agreed to pencil in the over/under on icing bring this aircraft down. "I didn't buy this big @ssed twin to get weather-stuck with the rest of the poors and their single engine lawnmowers....".

Of course, icing being the disappearing act that we know it to be when it comes to accident forensics, will always be trying to prove a negative. So I'm sure we'll end up with "carbon monoxide huffing aliens and Al Qaeda DFW sleeper cell lasering the aircraft" as the POA consensus here within a page or two, per usual...
 
That’s a great take on this one . Leaning towards the Laser attack myself and perhaps there might be more views on this one after we finish rehashing the Flygirl Youtube accident further. Going for 1K redundant comments on that one.
 
Seems like all recent NTSB final statements end up in "pilot loss of control, failing to maintain separation from nearest planet"
 
aftCG said:
Seems like all recent NTSB final statements end up in "pilot loss of control, failing to maintain separation from nearest planet"
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True, suppose they’ll get a look at the engines, or what’s left of them and eliminate the obvious. Hindsight 2020 made a great point in his post with disappearing forensics with proof of icing. Can only consider the flight conditions and issue a report. Unless there was ATC communication near time of accident.
 
aftCG said:
Seems like all recent NTSB final statements end up in "pilot loss of control, failing to maintain separation from nearest planet"
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Seems that’s what most often happens though. Sometimes with contributing factor of pilot failing to adequately plan fuel requirements.
 
aviation-safety.net

Accident Cessna 310R N252DL,

On January 14, 2024, about 1230 central standard time, a Cessna 310R, N252DL was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Poolville, Texas. The pilot and two passengers were fat...
aviation-safety.net

Looking at the pics of the plane this particular 310r had zero anti icing equipment except maybe pito heat. Moderate icing was forecast in the area. The pilot had been flying for 20+ years and had lots of experience. Not sure why he chose this time to test the ice.


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Sad.

Any idea how long they were flying IMC or in icing conditions?
 
mandm said:
Sad.

Any idea how long they were flying IMC or in icing conditions?
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You’d need to know if they were in a layer or between and it’s hard to know now without going deep into sounding archives, and even then it’s not easy to tell. If I recall, they were in a G-Airmet for icing in clouds and precip from the surface level to the flight levels. Cloud tops, as usual, were not directly indicated, but models had them from FL270 to FL300 along the entire route (and bases from 020 to 030).

Precipitation was indicated by radar along the northern limits of their route.

Their cruise between 7 and 8000’ would have had them in this layer for about an hour.
 
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