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20060323004409A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 340A · Melbourne, FL · March 23, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 23, 2006 · 10:57 local
Place
Melbourne, FL
Airport
Melbourne Regional
Phase of flight
Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N37JB
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA06FA069
Reported as
Cessna 340A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
750 total60 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N37JBRegistration cancelled Jan 22, 2007 · Cessna 340AS/N 340A0124 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna 340A

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 airplane was on final for landing at mlb on runway 9L when it crashed in a small parking area behind a building, about 1.5 miles west of the runway. The airplane was in a near vertical, nose-down descent when it impacted, based on witness reports. A witness reported that the airplane was "wobbling" just before it crashed and that both props were turning. A parking-lot security camera at a dogtrack located about 1.5 miles northeast of the crash-site recorded the last portion of the aircraft descent. The 8 fps digital video was somewhat grainy and the airplane attitude was not clearly distinguishable. The airplane descent angle initially appeared to be between 5 and 10 degrees. Just before impact, the angle increased to 45+ degrees. The pilot had been checked out by a CFI in this airplane for insurance purposes about 4 days earlier. He reported on the insurance form at that time that he had 1,175 hours total time, 230 hours multi-engine time, and 60 hours - total/20 hours - last 12 months in the Cessna 340. At his last medical on 2/2/06, he reported having 750 hours total flight time.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL FOR LANDING AT MLB ON RUNWAY 9L WHEN IT CRASHED IN A SMALL PARKING AREA BEHIND A BUILDING, ABOUT 1.5 MILES WEST OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A NEAR VERTICAL, NOSE-DOWN DESCENT WHEN IT IMPACTED, BASED ON WITNESS REPORTS. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS "WOBBLING" JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED AND THAT BOTH PROPS WERE TURNING. A PARKING-LOT SECURITY CAMERA AT A DOGTRACK LOCATED ABOUT 1.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE CRASH-SITE RECORDED THE LAST PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DESCENT. THE 8 FPS DIGITAL VIDEO WAS SOMEWHAT GRAINY AND THE AIRPLANE ATTITUDE WAS NOT CLEARLY DISTINGUISHABLE. THE AIRPLANE DESCENT ANGLE INITIALLY APPEARED TO BE BETWEEN 5 AND 10 DEGREES. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE ANGLE INCREASED TO 45+ DEGREES. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CHECKED OUT BY A CFI IN THIS AIRPLANE FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES ABOUT 4 DAYS EARLIER. HE REPORTED ON THE INSURANCE FORM AT THAT TIME THAT HE HAD 1,175 HOURS TOTAL TIME, 230 HOURS MULTI-ENGINE TIME, AND 60 HOURS - TOTAL/20 HOURS - LAST 12 MONTHS IN THE CESSNA 340. AT HIS LAST MEDICAL ON 2/2/06, HE REPORTED HAVING 750 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME.

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 MIA06FA069Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportMelbourne, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid a stall during the final approach to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to the use of a sedating antihistamine.Mar 23, 2006 · Destroyed