Aviation Accidents Caused by Weather Phenomena

Running Head: AVIATION 1
Aviation
Name of Student:
Name of Professor:
Course Title:
Date:

AVIATION 2
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

AVIATION 3
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

AVIATION 4
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