19980517009509A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 337B · Montgomery, NY · May 17, 1998

Date: May 17, 1998 · 15:21 local
Place: Montgomery, NY
Airport: Orange County Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5471S
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC98LA110
Reported as: Cessna 337B
Reported engine: Continental IO360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,000 total

N5471SRegistration cancelled Feb 10, 2009 · Cessna 337BS/N 337-0571 · Built 1966 Airframe modelCessna 337B Engine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Acft departed from rwy 21 with rear engine shutdown. Disappeared from sight and subseq crashed. Orange county, NY (-23) aircraft departed airport with rear engine shut down. Pilot stated he was going to takeoff on one engine. Aircraft crashed approximately 1 mile off end of the runway. (.4)the pilot was unable to start the rear engine of the Cessna 337. He then told some people he was going to make a single engine takeoff. The pilot initiated a takeoff with the rear engine not operating and the rear propeller not feathered. The airplane was observed to use all of the 5,000 foot runway to become airborne. After lift-off, the airplane did not climb, and it impacted trees off the departure end of the runway. An FAA inspector reported that there was a placard in the cockpit which stated, 'do not inititate single engine takeoff.' Examination of the airplane revealed the rear propeller was not feathered, and the front propeller had separated from the engine at the crankshaft.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT DEPARTED FROM RWY 21 WITH REAR ENGINE SHUTDOWN. DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT AND SUBSEQ CRASHED. ORANGE COUNTY, NY (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AIRPORT WITH REAR ENGINE SHUT DOWN. PILOT STATED HE WAS GOING TO TAKEOFF ON ONE ENGINE. AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE OFF END OF THE RUNWAY. (.4)THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO START THE REAR ENGINE OF THE CESSNA 337. HE THEN TOLD SOME PEOPLE HE WAS GOING TO MAKE A SINGLE ENGINE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF WITH THE REAR ENGINE NOT OPERATING AND THE REAR PROPELLER NOT FEATHERED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO USE ALL OF THE 5,000 FOOT RUNWAY TO BECOME AIRBORNE. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CLIMB, AND IT IMPACTED TREES OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. AN FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THERE WAS A PLACARD IN THE COCKPIT WHICH STATED, 'DO NOT INITITATE SINGLE ENGINE TAKEOFF.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE REAR PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED, AND THE FRONT PROPELLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AT THE CRANKSHAFT.

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 NYC98LA110Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMontgomery, NYthe pilot's improper decision to initiate a takeoff with the rear engine inoperative, which resulted in an airplane that could not climb sufficiently to clear obstacles (trees).May 17, 1998 · Substantial damage