Aviation Accidents Caused by Weather Phenomena

This research provides an in-depth analysis of two aviation-related accidents caused by separate weather phenomena. The accidents involved Cessna 340A and Cessna R182. The article discusses the aircraft system, flight principles, weather details, and the impact of weather concerning the occurrence of the accidents.

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Aviation
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Aviation
Introduction
Airlines offer their services to different global regions. The airlines which are in
operation globally are estimated to be more than 2000 (Al Aian, Basuno & bin Omar, 2014). In
addition, they operate over 23000 aircraft which are required to serve a total of 3700 airports. In
2017, there was an increment in the number of travelers who utilized scheduled services by 4.1
billion. On the other hand, departures were totaled at 36.7 million which was higher by 3.1%
when compared to 2016 (Boyd, 2015). Apart from facilitating the transportation of individuals to
different regions globally, the industry provided more 2.7 million employment slots. The
outcome is that the sector is crucial for offering support to 3.5% of the activities evident
economically on a global scale. Regardless of the positive contribution of the industry to global
economies, it has also been subject to some fatalities arising from poor weather. According to
Baker & Hunter (2017), 25% of flights often succumb to weather conditions which are horrific
leading to massive losses and other fatalities. The research endeavors to provide an in-depth
analysis of two aviation-related accidents caused by separate weather phenomena.
Accident one: Cessna 340A
Flight history
In February 2008, Cessna 340A collided into a terrain which was mountainous. The
accident occurred as it attempted to maneuver in the regions which are close to Cabazon which is
located in California (National Transportation Safety Board, n.d.). The crash led to a situation in
which the pilot, as well as three passengers, lost their lives. The provisions which guided the

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aircraft’s operations were contained in the Federal regulations 14th code part 91. Initially, the
flight commenced from Bermuda Dunes Airport, located in California. It was also determined
that some meteorological conditions were instrumental for the occurrence of the accidents which
was evident in the area where the accident occurred. The report concerning the plane's late
arrival was made one family member. Complaints were received by the Federal Aviation
Administration which paved the way for a notification alert to be issued (Dismukes, Berman &
Loukopoulos, 2017). The Civil Air Patrol begun operations geared towards searching and
rescuing the victims in February 2008. The course that the flight had taken was northeasterly.
The data recorded on radar indicated that had made a turn to the left heading to a Mode C
easterly.
Aircraft system and flight principles
Cessna 340 relates to a business aircraft that makes use of the engine which requires
Teledyne Continental Motors. The concept applied to 340A was conceived as a cabin-class
affiliated development. Moreover, the six seats contained in the aircraft are effectively
pressurized, and its gear was retractable. The plane's capacity could accommodate one pilot and
five passengers. The length of the Cessna 340A was at 34ft and 4 inches while its wingspan is
measured at 11.62m (Finley, Robertson, Dyche, Koenigs & Dickerson, 2015). The height of the
airplane was indicated at 3.84m. Furthermore, the plane's airfoil at the root is NACA 23018
whereas, at the tip, it is NACA 23015. The weight of the plane when empty was 1780kgs
whereas it was not to exceed 2719kgs during take-off. During flight, the horsepower which could
be anticipated from the aircraft was rated at 310. The Cessna 340A had a service ceiling of
29,800 ft, and its rate of climb was at 1,650 ft per minute. The plane’s wings could load at 32.55

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lb/sq ft. When the investigation into the crash commenced, the airframe, as well as the engine's
logbook, could not be located.
Weather details
The station responsible for issuing weather reports which were located at Palm Springs
International Airport indicated that the wind was at 8 knots from 320°. From the site where the
accident occurred, the station was 19.75 miles to the southeast. Moreover, visibility was rated at
ten nautical miles (Chang, 2017). In addition, cloud layers were noted to be scattered at 10000 as
well as 20000 feet. On the fateful day, temperatures were determined to be at 16°C while the
dew point was at 2°C. Another pilot aboard Cessna 170 indicated in his statement that the cloud
coverage evident was overcast on the day that Cessna 340A suffered an accident. Furthermore,
radar services had been terminated because of the anticipation that radar coverage would be lost.
The pilot had also been informed that he had to ensure that from interstate 10, he was to keep to
the northwest owing to some traffic which was anticipated while going through the pass.
The impact of weather concerning the occurrence of the accident
Weather is a predominant reason which led to the accident. Pilots who are required to fly
visually must ensure they are outside the clouds at all times. Low overcasts are a source of
concern even where pilots are to rely on IFR particularly where they approach the airports
located in their designated destination. An obscured sky implies that even the observers on the
ground might have a difficult time making the correct assessments that would ensure the safe
landing of aircraft. When the site where the accident occurred was subjected to some
examination, the point of contact which was first identified was located on the ridge's southern
face (Enomoto & Geisler, 2017). The elevation at which contact occurred was determined to be

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at 4,800 feet. Moreover, the path on which wreckage was identified extended beyond the peak to
the slope which was located towards the ridge’s northern side.
Accident two: Cessna R182
The history of the flight involved
In June 2009, Cessna R182 impacted terrain leading to its destruction (National
Transportation Safety Board, n.d.). The flight was under the command of a private pilot, and the
occurrence of its accidence was evident in Dougherty which is located in Texas. After the
impact, a fire ensued. However, during the occurrence, Instrument Meteorological conditions
which are applicable at night were already in operation. Although the flight was being conducted
on a personal basis, provisions stipulated under part 91 of the Federal Regulations' code as
contained In Title 14. However, definite plans had not been made detailing how the flight would
be made. The outcome is that the pilot and his passenger sustained some injuries (Fultz &
Ashley, 2016). Initially, the aircraft was to travel across the country to touchdown on Hale
County Airport, which is, located in Texas by departing from Houston Southwest Airport.
The statement issued by a KPVW operator indicated that some contact had been
established by a woman to obtain some assurance that someone would be available to meet the
travelers once they got to the airport. At 2125, the frequency at UNICOM received a call from
the pilot to establish the runway which was available for use (Johnson et al., 2017). Moreover,
further attempts to establish contact were made at 2140 to determine the weather evident at
KPVW. When the operator at UNICOM made the attempts to establish some contact with the

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plane which had suffered an accident at 2150, it became apparent that it would be impossible to
obtain feedback.
Aircraft system and flight principles
In 1980, the plane which succumbed to the accident was manufactured with R18201504
being determined as its serial number (Maurino, Reason, Johnston & Lee, 2017). FAA registered
the plane with respect to its airworthiness which culminated in the provision of a standard
certificate. Through certification, the plane was allowed to participate in normal operations. The
engine relied on to power the plane was categorized under Lycoming O-540 with a rating of 250
with a 2,400 rpm horsepower. Moreover, two McCauley propellers were used to equip the
engine (Olsen, Page & Vulovic, 2016).
The aircraft included four seats, and it was also fitted with appropriate landing gear. The
weight permissible attributed to the aircraft was at 1,406 kg. The plane can accommodate a
single crew member with three passengers on the flight for take-off. The length of the aircraft is
at 8.84 m whereas its height is at 2.8m. The speed at which the aircraft can operate is expected
never to exceed 175knots whereas the plane can stall at 49knots. Cessna R182 service ceiling
was set at 18,100 ft with 924 ft/min as the rate of climb. The plane was also scheduled for an
inspection program which was to occur annually. However, the records which could be relied on
to indicate maintenance endeavors were not available. Even so, an invoice from Parker Aircraft
LLC was located which indicated the bill that was to be footed for the inspections which were to
be conducted yearly.
Meteorological information regarding visibility

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Texas synoptic conditions were determined to favor thunderstorms which were high-
based. In addition, weather deteriorations were anticipated to develop not only in the afternoon
but also the evening hours as evaluated on the 18th of June, 2209. The National Weather Service
had indicated that the prevalence of a thunderstorm which was severe was among the risks which
could be anticipated in the region. The result was that the center resolved to provide an
appropriate advisory with regards to the panhandle located in Texas. Moreover, an alarm was
also raised with respect to the possibility of the strong local winds developing with the capacity
to pave the way for extensive damages. The chart which summarized NWS Radar findings at
2120 provided that the site of the accident would be bombarded by thunderstorms to the west as
well as the northwest.
The data obtained from Lubbock 1990 indicated that the environment would be not only
warm but also dry. The level of condensation was not only to be lifted but also elevated (LCL).
Furthermore, LFC indicated some favor for the occurrence of convention which was high-based.
The lift index obtained from the sounding was -6.3 whereas the K-index was at 40. The data
pointed towards an atmosphere which was unstable with the likelihood that it would foster the
prevalence of thunderstorms. In addition, the conditions favored outflow winds which were
strong combined with microbursts.
The input of poor weather which culminated in the accident was depicted by the images
obtained from the Geostationary Operations Environmental Satellite. The data indicated the
formation of cumulonimbus clouds which were located in the northwestern part of the region in
which the accident occurred (Thomas, King, Ortiz & DeFilipis, 2017). Furthermore,
cumulonimbus incus clouds appeared to be situated right above the region where the aircraft
suffered the accident. Visibility was determined to be at 2 ½ miles particularly in the advent of

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heavy rains. Moreover, it had also been noted that 5000 feet was the height at which the ceiling
had broken. Temperatures were recorded at 19°c whereas dew point was determined to be at
17°c.
Prior to the accident, several warnings had been issued. For example, convective
Significant Meteorological Information 16C, as well as 17C, indicated that different regions
would be liable to thunderstorms sourced from 240° with a speed of 30 knots. Cloud tops were
determined to appear at more than 45000 feet (Walton & Politano, 2016). The implication made
by the advisory was that the turbulence aircraft would expect to endure would either be extreme
or severe. Lighting and wind shears at low level were also anticipated. Wind speeds were
described at 60-70 mph by two witnesses who were at the locality. The conditions aligned with
the provisions necessary for the occurrence of a windstorm as dirt coupled with dust were being
blown into the air. Moreover, the FAA Automated Flight Service Station did not issue the pilot
with a weather briefing which could be categorized as being formal.
Details relating to the impact of the accident and the resulting wreckage
The scene where the accident occurred was a field used to grow cotton which had
become dormant whose mean sea level was 3100 feet. The wreckage yielded some fragments
from the empennage and fuselage. Assemblies were also gathered from the engine, the wing located
to the right of the aircraft and also to its left (King, Ortiz & Blickensderfer, 2016). The width of the
scar left on the ground was two feet whereas its length was 25 feet owing to the impact that
occurred initially. From the crater formed, dirt, as well as debris, had been pushed out to align
with the direction in which the impact occurred. The crater's depth was estimated to be 3-4 feet
from which instrument fragments, wires as well as engine hoses were collected. Among the parts

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which were partially buried included the engine coupled with the propeller assembly. However,
the fragments were located lower into the ground at 6 feet.
The remains which were retrieved included the forward cockpit, empennage as well as
the fuselage which were not only bent but also burnt. In addition, the cabin area designated for
the aircraft was also retrieved (Ekman & Debacker, 2018). Rudder, as well as elevator cables,
indicated some continuity from the fuselage aft located at the front to designated points which
came to an end at the empennage. Furthermore, some continuity was also evident from the
aileron cables with some few areas which indicated separation. The bent evident for the two propeller
blades was noted to be at 90°. Leading coupled with trailing polishing which occurred at the edge was
evident on the two blades. Moreover, some chordwise scratches had also formed on the face of the two
blades. The damage sustained from the impact posed some difficulties where attempts were made to
rotate the aircraft's engine. The examinations which were conducted in respect to the borescope of the
cylinders indicated some signatures which aligned with operations which could be deemed as normal
(Schwarz, Fischenberg & Holzäpfel, 2018).
Conclusions
The factors which are weather-related which pave the way for the occurrence of accidents
are quite diverse. Generally, accidents noted to have some effects which are diverse are often
noted to occur in the course of a flight’s cruise phase. This is often the point at which even the
slightest deteriorations in the weather can be noted for appropriate measures to be undertaken.

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