# Accident 19970122000769A: Cessna 401, Minneapolis, MN, January 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 22, 1997, 13:23 local time
- Place: Minneapolis, MN
- Airport: Crystal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: BTPA
- Location: 45.0625° N, 93.3540° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CRYSTAL (MIC), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0625&lon=-93.3540&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5AS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5AS-1999-12-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 401 (registry code 207590C, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-401) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 401
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97FA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA059) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970122000769A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LANDED REFUEL ICED UP. DECLINED DEICING. PILOT KNOCKED OFF ICE. SETTLED ON TAKEOFF. HIT POLE AND FENCE. MISJUDGMENT (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON RETURN TRIP TO YPSILANTI, MI FOLLOWING REFUELING AND PICK UP OF PASSENGER (RELATIVE OF SECOND PILOT). AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ARRIVE WITH RIME ICE ACCUMULATION ON LEADING EDGE OF ENGINE SPINNERS, WINGS,HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS. PILOT WAS OFFERED OPPORTUNITY FOR DE-ICING, BUT DECLINED AND WAS OBSERVED KNOCKING ICE OFF WINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.  DURING TAKEOFF, AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MAKING A SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL TAKEOFF ROLL.  AIRCRAFT HAD STALL INDICATION SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, YAWING TO LEFT.  PILOT CLAIMED LOSS OF POWER, BUT ENGINE CHECKS POST ACCIDENT WERE NORMAL.  AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND, HIT UTILITY POLE AND WENT THROUGH COMBINATION CHAIN-LINK/BARBED WIRE FENCE AT AIRPORT BOUNDARY.  GEAR WAS RETRACTED FOLLOWING IMPACT, AND WAS NOT EXTENDED FOR GROUND IMPACT.  AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED WITH LIGHT COATING OF ICE ON TOP OF FUSELAGE AND WINGS AFTER IMPACT.  THE LIGHT COATING COULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING TAXI AND TAKEOFF AS A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN/SNOW WAS FALLING AT THE TIME WITH DETERIORA                                  TING WEATHER CONDITIONS. RIME ICE WAS NOTED ON VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AFTER IMPACT.  CREW (WRITTEN) STATED THAT THEY CHECKED AND WERE OPERATING DEICING EQUIPMENT.  INITIAL INTERVIEW DOES NOT AGREE WITH WRITTEN STATEMENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97FA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA059), Jan 22, 1997: Cessna 401 (N5AS), Crystal, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure adequate removal of airframe ice from the aircraft during preflight.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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