HIBBING, MN, USA
N4831V
BELLANCA 17-30
PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED TO CHECK BACK BEFORE DEPARTING TO SEE IF ANYTHING HAD DEVELOPED. REPORTEDLY, HE TOOK OFF AT 0815 CDT, AND AT 0831 CDT, HE RADIOED THE HIBBING FSS FOR WX INFO. THE FSS SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE HIBBING WX WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS & THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS VFR ON TOP, THEN STATED HE DIDN'T THINK HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO ELT, MN. HE REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE TO HIBBING WHICH WAS PROVIDED. AT 0849, HE REPORTED INBOUND OVER THE HIBBING VOR (7 MI SW OF THE ARPT). AT APRX 0855, THE ACFT CRASHED, SOUTHWEST OF THE INSTRUMENT APCH COURSE TO RWY 31 ON A HEADING OF 020 DEG. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH TREES & THE ANGLE OF DESCENT WAS MORE THAN 15 DEG. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENG SOUND INCREASED JUST BEFORE IMPACT. A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS NOTED AT THE CRASH SITE. DESPITE IMPACT DAMAGE, SOME FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS. REPORTEDLY, THE PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY DECLARED LOW FUEL STATUS FOR PREFERRED HANDLING. FOG OBSCURRED THE TREE TOPS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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