# Accident 20091222052769A: Cessna 402C, Moab, UT, December 22, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 22, 2009, 17:00 local time
- Place: Moab, UT
- Airport: Canyonlands Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: N3BA
- Location: 38.7547° N, 109.7547° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7547&lon=-109.7547&mi=10
- Aircraft: N520NE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N520NE-2021-02-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 402C (registry code 207590R, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-402c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 402C
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR10LA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA092) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091222052769A

## Narrative

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

N520NE ENCOUNTERED DEEP SNOW ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE AT CANYONLANDS FIELD AIRPORT, MOAB UTAH.  AEROLYNX WAS THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT.  INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGIAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE HE RECEIVED THE LATEST WEATHER REPORT VIA THE INTERNET.  HE TAXIED TO RUNWAY 21 AND PREFORMED THE APPROPRIATE PRE TAKEOFF PROCEDURES, WHICH INCLUDED THE LASTEST WEATHER FROM ASOS.  HE NOTED THAT THE RUNWAY HAD A THIN SNOW COVERING AND LIGHT SHOW CONTINUED TO FALL.  DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, HE OBSERVED THAT ABOUT 1/4 DOWN THE RUNWAY THE SNOW WAS DEEPER THAN IT HAD BEEN AT THE DEPATURE.  HE ADDITIONALLY NOTICED A LARGE SNOW BANK (WINDROW) WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY, STRETCHING ACROSS ITS ENTIRE WIDTH.  THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE PERPENDICULAR SNOW, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF FOWARD MOMENTUM AND VEERING TENDENCY TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BUT WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE CENTERLINE.  AT THAT POINT THE PILOT MADE THE DETERMINATION TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF.  THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE SNOW COVERED GROUND LEFT OF THE RUNWAY, WITH ITS NOSE POINTED ABOUT 90 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING.  WEATHER AT 1653 (7 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT) STATED: 0.75 MILES,; 1,500 FOOT OVERCAST, WITH FEW CLOUDS AT 800 FEET; LIGHT SNOW AND MIST; TEMPERATURE 23 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; DEW POINT 20 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; AND ALTIMETER 29.62" HG. AT 1723, THE REPORT WAS UPDATED TOREFLECT VISIBILITY HAD INCREASED TO 1.5 MILES WITH THE OVERCAST LAYER AT 2,200 FEET AND BROKEN CLOUDS AT 1,500 FEET.

## 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 WPR10LA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA092), Dec 23, 2009: Cessna 402C (N520NE), Moab, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to depart on a snow covered runway, which resulted in a loss of control and encounter with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the airport manager's failure to adhere to…

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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