# Accident 19990316002519A: Cessna 340A, Chesapeake, VA, March 16, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 16, 1999, 09:50 local time - Place: Chesapeake, VA - Airport: Chesapeake Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.6692° N, 76.2992° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6692&lon=-76.2992&mi=10 - Aircraft: N13DT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N13DT-1999-07-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 340A (registry code 2076405, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-340a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 340A - Reported engine: CONT TSIO520N - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 4,500 total, 10 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA074) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990316002519A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT DEPARTED RWY 5, THE LEFT ENGINE FAILED, AND THE ACFT CRASHED AND BURNED 1/4 MILE SW OF THE FIELD, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MARCH 16, 1999, ABOUT 0950 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 340A, N13DT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE CHESAPEAKE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CPK), CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DESTINED FOR THE FLAGER COUNTY AIRPORT, BUNNELL, FLORIDA. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, A WITNESS AT THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR WHERE THE AIRPLANE WAS KEPT, STATED SHE DID NOT SEE OR HEAR THE AIRPLANE DEPART, BUT HEARD THE PILOT SAY OVER THE UNICOM, "THIS IS 13DT, MAKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING," AND SAID THE PILOT SOUNDED CALM. ABOUT 30 TO 45 SECONDS LATER, SHE HEARD THE PILOT SAY, "13DT SPIRALING" OR "SPIRAL LANDING FOR RUNWAY 5." ABOUT 30 TO 45 SECONDS LATER, SHE HEARD SOMEONE SAY THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CRASHED. A WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE LIFT OFF THE GROUND ABOUT HALF-WAY DOWN THE 4,200 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. ABOUT 3 TO 5 MINUTES LATER, HE HEARD A PULSATING SOUND, LIKE THE THROTTLE WAS BEING MOVED BACK AND FORTH. HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE APPROACH END TO RUNWAY 5, ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE ENTER A 90 DEGREE LEFT BANK, AND SAID "I COULD SEE THE ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE." THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED AND THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRPLANE TURNED 180 DEGREES, MAINTAINING ALTITUDE, AND ITS NOSE DROPPED. THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED UP AND ENTERED A FLAT SPIN FROM ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE COME OVER "THE NUMBERS," ABOUT 500 FEET OR LESS. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A LEFT BANK WHICH INCREASED TO ABOUT A 90 DEGREE BANK ANGLE. HE NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE WAS FEATHERED AND LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A SPIN, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. ON SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A GRASS AREA ABOUT 1,000 FEET NORTHWEST FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 5, AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, ON A MAGNETIC COURSE OF 250 DEGREES. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SCENE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WHICH INCLUDED THE CABIN, BOTH WINGS, AND BOTH ENGINES, WAS CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE THE TAIL SECTION AFT OF THE AIRPLANE'S REAR BULKHEAD WAS NOT FIRE DAMAGED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FROM THE FORWARD COCKPIT AREA TO ALL PRIMARY CONTROL SURFACES. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINES WAS CONDUCTED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. BOTH ENGINES WERE DAMAGED BY FIRE. BOTH ENGINES WERE ROTATED ABOUT 30 DEGREES USING A SOCKET INSERTED INTO AN ACCESSORY DRIVE GEAR, AND CRANKSHAFT CONTINUITY WAS NOTED. THE TOP SPARKS PLUGS WERE REMOVED FROM BOTH ENGINES. THE SPARK PLUG ELECTRODES WERE INTACT AND THEY EXHIBITED UNEVEN WEAR. THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND AT OR NEAR THE FEATHERED POSITION. THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER CONTAINED A BLADE WITH "S" BENDING, AND A BLADE WHICH WAS BENT ABOUT 90 DEGREES OUTBOARD. BOTH ENGINES AND PROPELLERS WERE RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ON AN APPLICATION FOR AIRCRAFT INSURANCE DATED FEBRUARY 20, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED 4,800 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, 700 HOURS IN MU LTIENGINE AIRCRAFT, AND 10 HOURS IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. (-23) PILOT DECLARED EMERGENCY AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 5. WITNESS HEARD ENGINE POWER SURGES, LT. ENGINE PROPELLER FEATHERED, FLAPS EXTENDED AND LANDING GEAR IN UP POSITION. PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE WHILE IN LT. TURN. AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN FLAT ATTITUDE WITH LITTLE FORWARD SPEED. FUEL TANKS RUPTURED AND AIRCRAFT BURNED ON IMPACT. (.4) AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WITH IT'S LEFT PROPELLER FEATHERED, WHEN IT ENTERED A LEFT BANK WHICH INCREASED TO ABOUT 90 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A SPIN, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE REVEALED THE CAMSHAFT OF THE LEFT ENGINE HAD FAILED AS A RESULT OF A FATIGUE CRACK. NO OTHER ABNORMALITIES WERE OBSERVED OF AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE LEFT ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 1,200 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL. THE PILOT PURCHASED THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. AT THAT TIME, HE REPORTED 700 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANES, OF WHIC CH, 10 HOURS WERE IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. ## 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 NYC99FA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA074), Mar 16, 1999: Cessna 340A (N13DT), Chesapeake, VA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a single engine emergency landing, after experiencing a failure of the left engine. A factor in this accident was the failure of the… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.