# Accident 19991002047629A: Cessna 401B, Caldwell, NJ, October 2, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 2, 1999, 07:51 local time
- Place: Caldwell, NJ
- Airport: Essex County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8752° N, 74.2814° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ESSEX COUNTY (CDW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8752&lon=-74.2814&mi=10
- Aircraft: N88VA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N88VA-2013-04-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 401B (registry code 207590E, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-401b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental GTSIO-520-C (registry code 17035, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsio-520-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 401B
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520E
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 738 total, 118 in this make and model, 31 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC00FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00FA001) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991002047629A

## Narrative

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

(.4) THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF RUN AFTER THE AIRSPEED INDICATION ROSE TO ABOUT 80 MILES PER HOUR, BUT WOULD NOT GO ANY HIGHER. HE COULD NOT STOP THE AIRPLANE, BEFORE IT WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, OVER A BERM, AND INTO A DRAINAGE RAVINE.  WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS PULLED OUT OF THE RAVINE, BOTH PITOT COVERS WERE STILL IN PLACE, AROUND THE PITOT TUBES.  THE RUNWAY WAS 4,553 FEET LONG, CALCULATED TAKEOFF DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 2,525 FEET, AND CALCULATED ACCELERATE-STOP DISTANCE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,950 FEET.  TIRE SKID MARKS STARTED AROUND 3,600 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, AND LED TO THE WRECKAGE.  ABOUT A YEAR EARLIER, ANOTHER AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT RAN INTO THE SAME RAVINE, WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 200 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.                                                            (-23) DURING TAKE OFF ROLL PILOT ABORTED DUE TO AIRCRAFT NOT ACCELERATING. AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT END OF RUNWAY INTO A STREAM OF APPROC 3' WATER. FIRE ON BOTH ENGINES/UNDERWINGS. ALL 8 PERSONS ESCAPED. NO FATALITIES. FOUND BOTH PILOT TUBES WITH PILOT COVERS INSTALLED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

## 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 NYC00FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00FA001), Oct 2, 1999: Cessna 401B (N88VA), Caldwell, NJ, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight, which resulted in an attempted takeoff with the pitot covers installed. An additional cause was the pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff, while factors…

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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