20031001027219I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 441 · Pittsburgh, PA · October 1, 2003

Date: October 1, 2003
Place: Pittsburgh, PA
Airport: Allegheny County
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N835MA
Reported as: Cessna 441
Reported engine: Garrett TPE331*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

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) Allegheny County Airport, PA, October 1, 2003, at 0810E, aircraft N835MA, a C441, landed on runway 28 after reporting communication problems. The pilot of the aircraft mistakenly transmitted the "hijack" code on the transponder while inbound. The local authorities responded and surrounded the aircraft on the ramp. Further investigation revealed that the led display on transponder was intermittent causing the crew to enter code of 7500, instead of the correct code of 7600. The aircraft number two radio had failed in addition to other avionics problems; the aircraft was grounded until repairs were made. Submission of this report closes this incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT, PA, OCTOBER 1, 2003, AT 0810E, AIRCRAFT N835MA, A C441, LANDED ON RUNWAY 28 AFTER REPORTING COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT MISTAKENLY TRANSMITTED THE "HIJACK" CODE ON THE TRANSPONDER WHILE INBOUND. THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES RESPONDED AND SURROUNDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RAMP. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LED DISPLAY ON TRANSPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT CAUSING THE CREW TO ENTER CODE OF 7500, INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT CODE OF 7600. THE AIRCRAFT NUMBER TWO RADIO HAD FAILED IN ADDITION TO OTHER AVIONICS PROBLEMS; THE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED UNTIL REPAIRS WERE MADE. SUBMISSION OF THIS REPORT CLOSES THIS INCIDENT.