OpenAirDocs.org

20130115000469A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna 208B · Pellston, MI · January 15, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 15, 2013 · 19:45 local
Place
Pellston, MI
Airport
Pellston
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
MT9A
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1120N
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13FA135
Reported as
Cessna 208B
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total34 in this make and model34 in the last 90 days
N1120NRegistration cancelled Feb 8, 2018 · Cessna 208BS/N 208B0386 · Built 1994Airframe modelCessna 208BEngine 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.

On January 15, 2013 a Cessna caravan 208B, N1120N, was destroyed after takeoff from Pellston, MI airport (pln). The airplane was operated by martinaire, under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 135 on demand cargo with a VFR flight plan on file to lansing, MI (lan). Night VFR conditions prevailed for the cargo flight with 1 crewmember onboard. Reported weather: kpln 160154Z auto 21012G17KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3010 rmk AO2 SLP207 T10331083

Kpln 152354Z auto 21010G16KT 10SM BKN036 BKN048 OVC055 M03/M09 A3014 rmk AO2 SNE2257 SLP223 P0000 60000 T10331094 11033 21044 56020

The aircraft crashed at approximately 1945 EST during takeoff from Pellston Airport. The sole occupant received a fatal injury.

Factual notes on engine teardown investigation received by pratt & whitney Canada: external condition: the propeller had separated from the engine and one blade had fractured at approx. mid span. A piece of the blade (approx.. 6? Of the tip) was found some 200? To the right of the main wreckage as viewed from aft looking forward. The blade tip showed significant impact damage with pieces of wood adhered to the impact region. The remaining piece of propeller blade was not recovered. The portion of blade still attached to the hub could not be moved and was in a position consistent with being out of feather. A second blade was found bent approx.. 90° towards its camber side. A slight bend in the opposite direction was also noted near the blade shank. The leading edge showed significant impact damage and the blade butt and/or blade retaining feature within the hub was broken, allowing the blade to be moved. The third blade was relatively intact and showed a moderate bend towards its camber side.

The aircraft made initial contact with trees located approximately 1.2 miles southwest from departure end of runway 23. Initial tree impact was observed at 45.564N, 84.827W, a swath through the trees measuring approximately 41?wide began at approximately 228? From initial tree impact continuing approximately 192? On a true heading of 280°, at which the aircraft struck a tree approximately 12? In diameter, the aircraft came to rest on its right hand side.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 15, 2013 A CESSNA CARAVAN 208B, N1120N, WAS DESTROYED AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PELLSTON, MI AIRPORT (PLN). THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY MARTINAIRE, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON DEMAND CARGO WITH A VFR FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE TO LANSING, MI (LAN). NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CARGO FLIGHT WITH 1 CREWMEMBER ONBOARD. REPORTED WEATHER: KPLN 160154Z AUTO 21012G17KT 10SM OVC050 M03/M08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP207 T10331083

KPLN 152354Z AUTO 21010G16KT 10SM BKN036 BKN048 OVC055 M03/M09 A3014 RMK AO2 SNE2257 SLP223 P0000 60000 T10331094 11033 21044 56020

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY 1945 EST DURING TAKEOFF FROM PELLSTON AIRPORT. THE SOLE OCCUPANT RECEIVED A FATAL INJURY.

FACTUAL NOTES ON ENGINE TEARDOWN INVESTIGATION RECEIVED BY PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA: EXTERNAL CONDITION: THE PROPELLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE AND ONE BLADE HAD FRACTURED AT APPROX. MID SPAN. A PIECE OF THE BLADE (APPROX.. 6? OF THE TIP) WAS FOUND SOME 200? TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE AS VIEWED FROM AFT LOOKING FORWARD. THE BLADE TIP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DAMAGE WITH PIECES OF WOOD ADHERED TO THE IMPACT REGION. THE REMAINING PIECE OF PROPELLER BLADE WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE PORTION OF BLADE STILL ATTACHED TO THE HUB COULD NOT BE MOVED AND WAS IN A POSITION CONSISTENT WITH BEING OUT OF FEATHER. A SECOND BLADE WAS FOUND BENT APPROX.. 90° TOWARDS ITS CAMBER SIDE. A SLIGHT BEND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WAS ALSO NOTED NEAR THE BLADE SHANK. THE LEADING EDGE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DAMAGE AND THE BLADE BUTT AND/OR BLADE RETAINING FEATURE WITHIN THE HUB WAS BROKEN, ALLOWING THE BLADE TO BE MOVED. THE THIRD BLADE WAS RELATIVELY INTACT AND SHOWED A MODERATE BEND TOWARDS ITS CAMBER SIDE.

THE AIRCRAFT MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH TREES LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILES SOUTHWEST FROM DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 23. INITIAL TREE IMPACT WAS OBSERVED AT 45.564N, 84.827W, A SWATH THROUGH THE TREES MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 41?WIDE BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 228? FROM INITIAL TREE IMPACT CONTINUING APPROXIMATELY 192? ON A TRUE HEADING OF 280°, AT WHICH THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE APPROXIMATELY 12? IN DIAMETER, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT HAND SIDE.

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 CEN13FA135Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPellston, MIThe pilot's inadvertent controlled descent into terrain due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was lack of visual reference due to night conditions.Jan 16, 2013 · Destroyed

Other reports on N1120N · 1

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

Incident 20001208031019IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Pellston, MI(-23) Scheduled cargo flight iaw 14 CFR 135. While being vectored for ILS32, pilot cancelled IFR approx 8 NM from airport, landed on 6500 ft runway with poor braking and went approx. 150 feet of FAR (departure) end of runway. Wx reported 3/4 sm-sn br by ASOS,…Dec 8, 2000 · Minor damage