20041206031339A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 208B · Bellevue, ID · December 6, 2004

Date: December 6, 2004 · 10:20 local
Place: Bellevue, ID
Phase of flight: Initial Approach-IFR
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: GAJA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N25SA
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA05FA025
Reported as: Cessna 208B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,757 total202 in this make and model196 in the last 90 days

N25SARegistration cancelled Jun 15, 2007 · Cessna 208BS/N 208B0866 · Built 2000 Airframe modelCessna 208B Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

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) The aircraft crashed and burned about seven miles southeast of the destination runway. The pilot reported the final approach fix but informed an air traffic controller that he did not have the airport in sight. Nothing further was heard from this pilot. A witness in the area reported seeing the aircraft flying southeast, opposite direction to the approach course, at low altitude. The witness described the aircraft flying with wings rocking back and forth and then watched the nose drop to near vertical until impact with the ground. A pilot operating a Cessna citation 525 reported to an NTSB investigator that he picked up moderate mixed ice on the wings and windshield while flying on the same approach 20 minutes prior to the accident aircraft. The passenger flying on board the aircraft was another airline transport pilot who worked for the company. He had no crew responsibilities and was not trained in operating the aircraft. He was being transported to his home base.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED ABOUT SEVEN MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THE FINAL APPROACH FIX BUT INFORMED AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. NOTHING FURTHER WAS HEARD FROM THIS PILOT. A WITNESS IN THE AREA REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FLYING SOUTHEAST, OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE APPROACH COURSE, AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE WITNESS DESCRIBED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING WITH WINGS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH AND THEN WATCHED THE NOSE DROP TO NEAR VERTICAL UNTIL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. A PILOT OPERATING A CESSNA CITATION 525 REPORTED TO AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR THAT HE PICKED UP MODERATE MIXED ICE ON THE WINGS AND WINDSHIELD WHILE FLYING ON THE SAME APPROACH 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE PASSENGER FLYING ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS ANOTHER AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WHO WORKED FOR THE COMPANY. HE HAD NO CREW RESPONSIBILITIES AND WAS NOT TRAINED IN OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS BEING TRANSPORTED TO HIS HOME BASE.

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 SEA05FA025Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportBellevue, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while on approach for landing in icing conditions. Inadequate airspeed was a factor.Dec 6, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N25SA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20040730015789IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Boise, ID(-23) CE-208, N25SA, was taxiing to park at gate 58 at boi, when the pilot misjudged the height of the vertical stabilizer of N70672, a CE-210, and scraped the bottom of the right outboard section of the right wing on the top of the vertical stabilizer of…Jul 30, 2004 · Minor damage