19971230039709A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 402B · Watertown, SD · December 30, 1997

Date: December 30, 1997 · 18:17 local
Place: Watertown, SD
Airport: Watertown Municipal
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: DUFA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5087Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI98LA073
Reported as: Cessna 402B
Reported engine: Continental TSIO520EB
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N5087QRegistration cancelled Jun 28, 1999 · Cessna 402BS/N 402B0565 Airframe modelCessna 402B

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.

(.4)The pilot landed at Watertown, loaded and off-loaded cargo, and departed without getting out of the airplane. A witness reported seeing the airplane over the runway at an altitude of about 50 feet AGL. The airplane was described to be bouncing and buffeting. Another witness reported the weather as overcast with occasional snow flakes. The airplane then descended, impacted the terrain and exploded. Post accident inspection revealed a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick ridge of rime ice along the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer. Pieces of arc shaped ice were located along the wreckage path. Inspection of the wreckage failed to reveal any preimpact failure/malfunction of the engine or airframe which would have prevented flight. (-23) aircraft crashed about 1/4 mile from departure end of runway 12 and left of center line. Aircraft appeared to land in upright position and broke apart after hitting a concrete structure. There was a post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE PILOT LANDED AT WATERTOWN, LOADED AND OFF-LOADED CARGO, AND DEPARTED WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE OVER THE RUNWAY AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCRIBED TO BE BOUNCING AND BUFFETING. ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THE WEATHER AS OVERCAST WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW FLAKES. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND EXPLODED. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED A 1/2 TO 3/4 INCH THICK RIDGE OF RIME ICE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. PIECES OF ARC SHAPED ICE WERE LOCATED ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE FAILED TO REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FLIGHT. (-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 12 AND LEFT OF CENTER LINE. AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO LAND IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND BROKE APART AFTER HITTING A CONCRETE STRUCTURE. THERE WAS A POST CRASH FIRE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI98LA073Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportWatertown, SDthe pilot's failure to perform an aircraft preflight and to remove the ice which had accumulated on the airframe. A factor involved in the accident was the icing weather conditions which existed and the ice which accumulated on the airplane.Dec 31, 1997 · Destroyed