20030404005269A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Beech 200BEECH · Fitchburg, MA · April 4, 2003

Date: April 4, 2003 · 09:35 local
Place: Fitchburg, MA
Airport: Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N257CG
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD03FA043
Reported as: Beech 200BEECH
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 6
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,100 total332 in the last 90 days

N257CGRegistration cancelled Apr 19, 2004 · Raytheon B200S/N BB-1739 Airframe modelRaytheon B200

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.

(-23) On April 4, 2003 the pilot of the aircraft attempted to execute a gpsapproach to runway 14 at Fitchburg Municipal Airport (fit), Fitchburg, MA. The aircraft was observed by ground personnel at the airport and other witnesses to break out about 1/3RD down the runway and then enter a left downwind for runway 32, in close, very slow and low, then make a steep left turn, straighten out, then make another steep left turn, base to final, 90 degrees wings up and disappear below the tree line. Aircraft was destroyed when it impacted a building approximately 1.5 miles from the airport.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 4, 2003 THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A GPSAPPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 AT FITCHBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FIT), FITCHBURG, MA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY GROUND PERSONNEL AT THE AIRPORT AND OTHER WITNESSES TO BREAK OUT ABOUT 1/3RD DOWN THE RUNWAY AND THEN ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 32, IN CLOSE, VERY SLOW AND LOW, THEN MAKE A STEEP LEFT TURN, STRAIGHTEN OUT, THEN MAKE ANOTHER STEEP LEFT TURN, BASE TO FINAL, 90 DEGREES WINGS UP AND DISAPPEAR BELOW THE TREE LINE. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED A BUILDING APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.

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 IAD03FA043Accident · 6 fatalField investigationFinal reportLeominster, MAThe pilot's low altitude maneuver using an excessive bank angle, and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with a building. A factor was the pilot's impairment from prescription medications.Apr 4, 2003 · Substantial damage