Aero Commander 500-B accident near Susank, Kansas, January 12, 1993
On January 12, 1993 at about 1:55 am local time, a Aero Commander 500-B, registered N712AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Susank, Kansas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER AND THE OWNER'S REPRESENTATION THAT THE AIRPLANE MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS. THE WEATHER AND AIRFRAME ICE WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1993 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Susank, Kansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500-B · all 500-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N712AC · registry record · serial 1100-61
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED TWO WX BRIEFINGS; BOTH INDICATING ICING CONDITIONS EN ROUTE TO HAYS. IN ADDITION, BOTH BRIEFINGS ADVISED OF A SIGMET FOR REPORTED MODERATE-TO-SEVERE ICING IN FREEZING RAIN BELOW 4500 FT MSL. HE TELEPHONED BOTH DISPATCH AND THE CHIEF PILOT; THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE WX HAD NOT DEVELOPED AS FORECAST AND THE ADVERSE WX APPEARED TO BE EAST OF HAYS (1ST LANDING LOCATION). WHILE DESCENDING INTO HAYS, THE AIRPLANE ACCUMULATED ICE RAPIDLY. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE FIELD AT MDA AND EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY UNABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF ICING CONDITIONS, AND THE AIRPLANE SETTLED TO THE GROUND WITH FULL POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. IT DID INCORPORATE STC SA2573CE WHICH INSTALLS SYNTHETIC RUDDER STRIPS ON THE WING/TAIL LEADING EDGES. THE ANTI-ICING 'SHOES' ARE SPRAYED WITH GLYCOL TO HELP PREVENT ICE BUILD-UP IF ICING CONDITIONS ARE ENCOUNTERED IN FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE OWNER REPRESENTED THE STC AS MEETING FAR 135.227 FOR FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 140 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,913 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 3, 1993; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Central Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: GLD Goodland KS
- Destination: HYS Hays KS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded at 300 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Observation at 1:50 am from RSL, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI93LA070.