OpenAirDocs.org

19961101038469I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Beech F90 · Middletown, PA · November 1, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 1, 1996 · 08:43 local
Place
Middletown, PA
Airport
Harrisburg International Airport-Olmsted
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
BR7A
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N66BS
Reported as
Beech F90
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total1,200 in this make and model95 in the last 90 days
N66BSRegistered now · Beech F90S/N LA-40 · Built 1980Airframe modelBeech F90Engine modelU/A Canada PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on November 1, 1996, at 0843 hours, a Beechcraft BE-90, N66BS, registered to simmons, inc. of Virginia, richmond, VA pilot windscreen cracked at FL230 and landed at Harrisburg international airport (MDT), Middletown, PA while on a 135 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and the aircraft was on an IFR flight plan. The aircraft received minor damage, and the certificated commercial pilot and six passengers were not injured. The flight originated at tri-cities regional airport, tn/va. During cruise flight at FL230, the pilot's windscreen suddenly cracked. Windscreen heat had been applied for 20-30 minutes prior to the incident. The pilot reported the problem to new york center and asked for a lower altitude. New york center asked the pilot if he was declaring an emergency. An emergency was declared, and a choice of landing at capital city (cxy) or Harrisburg international (MDT) was offered. The aircraft landed at Harrisburg international without further incident. Inspection of the windscreen revealed that only the outside lamination of the windscreen was cracked vertically. This incident is considered closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON NOVEMBER 1, 1996, AT 0843 HOURS, A BEECHCRAFT BE-90, N66BS, REGISTERED TO SIMMONS, INC. OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND, VA PILOT WINDSCREEN CRACKED AT FL230 AND LANDED AT HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MDT), MIDDLETOWN, PA WHILE ON A 135 FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE, AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SIX PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TRI-CITIES REGIONAL AIRPORT, TN/VA. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL230, THE PILOT'S WINDSCREEN SUDDENLY CRACKED. WINDSCREEN HEAT HAD BEEN APPLIED FOR 20-30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO NEW YORK CENTER AND ASKED FOR A LOWER ALTITUDE. NEW YORK CENTER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WAS DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, AND A CHOICE OF LANDING AT CAPITAL CITY (CXY) OR HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL (MDT) WAS OFFERED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT HARRISBURG INTERNATIONAL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. INSPECTION OF THE WINDSCREEN REVEALED THAT ONLY THE OUTSIDE LAMINATION OF THE WINDSCREEN WAS CRACKED VERTICALLY. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.