Graves’ plane flying too low in final seconds, NTSB finds in early report

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Denton Record-Chronicle
DENTON, Texas - The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the Feb. 4 plane crash in Argyle that claimed the life of pilot William Blake Graves, 52, of Flower Mound, formerly of Willmar.
According to the report, air traffic controllers told Graves, who was alone in the twin-turboprop Cessna 441, that he was flying too low during the final seconds of the flight.
Although Graves responded that he was “going back up,” the plane crashed at 9:09 p.m.
A security camera at a nearby business caught the final moments of the flight as the plane went from level to a near-vertical spiral until it hit the ground.
The camera caught the plane’s wingtip navigation and strobe lights.
The plane hit a grassy area in an industrial park between Stonecrest Road and U.S. Highway 377, about six miles south of Denton Enterprise Airport.
The report contained considerable radar data and communications from air traffic control as Graves initially approached the airport from the north.
He had flown cross-country, having left Willmar Municipal Airport in Willmar, Minnesota, earlier in the day.
Graves was a Domino’s Pizza franchisee - whose business grew from one store in Willmar to 100 stores in nine states.
Graves and his wife, Susan, and their family moved from Willmar to Flower Mound, Texas, in December 2013. The couple has four sons and two daughters.
Another pilot, who was landing at the Denton Enterprise Airport a few minutes earlier, reported some light-to-moderate turbulence during the approach, with visibility down to about 1.5 miles.
Light rain and wind gusts near 30 mph accompanied a cold front that approached after sunset that evening, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
Air traffic control relayed the information to Graves and advised a different approach. Graves did not always follow the guidance provided by the control tower in the final moments of the flight, according to the report.
According to the Argyle Fire Department, which responded to 911 reports of the crash, there was no evidence that ice or frost had accumulated on the plane. The plane’s fuel did not ignite after the crash.
Graves was secured to his seat by a lap belt, but did not appear to have used the shoulder harness, according to the preliminary report.
Investigators wrote that they would continue to evaluate parts of the plane, including the engines and other instruments, along with the pilot’s mobile devices, in order to complete the final report.
Graves, who had been issued a commercial pilot license and was authorized to operate single-, multi-engine and instrument airplanes, was flying on an instrument flight rules plan, rather than a visual flight plan.
Final reports from incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board can sometimes take a year or more to complete.