Moderate icing Pireps and Airmets were being broadcast throughout the area where a Beechcraft E90 King Air crashed on October 18, according to a newly released NTSB preliminary report. The turboprop twin was on the RNAV Runway 21 approach to Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport in Parkersburg, West Virginia, when it crashed, killing the two pilots.
Satellite weather data at the time of the accident showed supercooled liquid water clouds from 1,300 feet to about 8,000 feet agl in the area. Airport weather was reported as 1,400 feet overcast, light winds, 10-mile visibility, and a temperature of 3 degrees C.
The aircraft was on a Part 91 positioning flight from John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Throughout the flight, ATC communications were normal. On a three-mile final, controllers cleared the aircraft to land, which was acknowledged by the pilots. There were no further communications from the flight crew.
Eyewitnesses reported the airplane as flying straight and level before suddenly beginning a steep descent and spinning nearly vertically to the ground. Security camera footage showed the airplane’s descent through impact and was consistent with eyewitness accounts. The airplane crashed into a car dealership parking lot and burned.
Investigators were able to determine that the engines were likely operating when it crashed. The extent of damage, however, prevented determining if the anti-icing system was operating or in what position the system's switches were.