Instrument Failure May Be At Fault

The GA world has lost two more of its brethren as the New Year started off in earnest. A single engine 1975 Bellanca aircraft (described as a "Bianca" by a number of aero-ignorant media-flaks), leaving Addison Airport, near DFW, in IFR conditions (rain and reduced visibility) went down shortly after takeoff, killing both persons on board.

The aircraft went down in a residential neighborhood, doing serious damage to one home and virtually destroying another (thankfully vacant) home. The accident occurred about 1010 local time, clipping the vacant house and skidding into another, winding up in its garage. No persons on the ground were reported injured.

The impact site is some 3 miles south of the airport. The aircraft was reportedly enroute to Amarillo at the time of the accident. The pilot was identified as Dr. David Knowles, 59, of Bullard, TX, according to Alex Lemishko, the NTSB IIC. The Dallas County ME has Id'd Knowles' passenger as David Moore, 55, of Jacksonville, Texas.

Knowles executed an IFR flight plan for the departure, though shortly after the take-off, Knowles told the tower that, "I lost my panel."

FMI: www.ci.addison.tx.us, www.addisontexas.net/event_planners/airports/addison_airport.asp