What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 19, 2024, about 1247 eastern standard time, a Cessna 208B, privacy data omitted, operated under 14 CFR part 135 regulations was involved in an off-airport landing incident at Dulles, Virginia. The two pilots and five passengers were uninjured. The operator, privacy data omitted, reported privacy data omitted from iad to lns departed runway 30 at 1245. During initial climb out the flight crew reported a standby power light illuminated and shortly after a loss of engine power & RPM accompanied by a felt vibration. The aircraft was in ground icing conditions with snowfall adhering to the aircraft for approximately 55 minutes prior to incident flight.
PIC directed SIC to declare an emergency while he managed the aircraft controls. During turnback to the runway the PIC felt the engine was unresponsive, decided the aircraft would not make the runway, and landed the aircraft on highway 606 adjacent to iad. The aircraft touched down on the road pavement and was damaged after it collided with a guardrail at a shallow angle. The aircraft came to a rest with the right main landing gear and nose landing gear touching the guardrail. The propeller impacted the guardrail several times; the damage indicates the aircraft was under power on impact.
The aircraft was towed away from the scene where it was disassembled for recovery/relocation. The engine/aircraft was inspected on 2/5/2024 at privacy data omitted repair facility by pratt & whitney and Textron personnel. NTSB and FAA oversight was provided. Nothing significant was discovered after minor disassembly and internal inspection. Engine was removed, crated, and shipped to manufacture for further inspection.
Engine testing was completed on 3/5/2024 at pratt & whitney plant 81. The engine was visually inspected and operated on a test cell dyno. The engine met all production specifications. Pic/sic reported loss of power and vibration was not verified by testing. The engine was able to meet and exceed power ratings and vibration parameters were within specification. No abnormalities were noted.
Dulles security footage was obtained and reviewed. The aircraft can be seen in ground icing conditions for the duration of the time it was parked on the ramp through takeoff. The PIC did not accomplish any pre-flight checks contained within the company operations manuals or aircraft flight manual (AFM) for ground icing. The PIC elected to not de-ice the aircraft as directed by the company flight operations manuals and AFM. The PIC did not accomplish any contamination checks 5 minutes prior to takeoff.
From an interview conducted by the iic and cmt it was determined the PIC did not engage the inertial separator for taxi or takeoff, the PIC did not use any anti-ice protections, prop heat, pitot heat, or stall heat for taxi or takeoff. From an interview conducted by the cmt it was disclosed by a ground crew member that the incident aircraft, and one adjacent to the incident aircraft, had ice/snow buildup prior to flight.
It is believed the aircraft experienced an icing event that reduced aerodynamic performance and forced the off airport landing event.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 19, 2024, ABOUT 1247 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 208B, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 REGULATIONS WAS INVOLVED IN AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING INCIDENT AT DULLES, VIRGINIA. THE TWO PILOTS AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. THE OPERATOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REPORTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM IAD TO LNS DEPARTED RUNWAY 30 AT 1245. DURING INITIAL CLIMB OUT THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED A STANDBY POWER LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND SHORTLY AFTER A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER & RPM ACCOMPANIED BY A FELT VIBRATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN GROUND ICING CONDITIONS WITH SNOWFALL ADHERING TO THE AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 55 MINUTES PRIOR TO INCIDENT FLIGHT.
PIC DIRECTED SIC TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY WHILE HE MANAGED THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS. DURING TURNBACK TO THE RUNWAY THE PIC FELT THE ENGINE WAS UNRESPONSIVE, DECIDED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON HIGHWAY 606 ADJACENT TO IAD. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE ROAD PAVEMENT AND WAS DAMAGED AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH A GUARDRAIL AT A SHALLOW ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE LANDING GEAR TOUCHING THE GUARDRAIL. THE PROPELLER IMPACTED THE GUARDRAIL SEVERAL TIMES; THE DAMAGE INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER POWER ON IMPACT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED AWAY FROM THE SCENE WHERE IT WAS DISASSEMBLED FOR RECOVERY/RELOCATION. THE ENGINE/AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED ON 2/5/2024 AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPAIR FACILITY BY PRATT & WHITNEY AND TEXTRON PERSONNEL. NTSB AND FAA OVERSIGHT WAS PROVIDED. NOTHING SIGNIFICANT WAS DISCOVERED AFTER MINOR DISASSEMBLY AND INTERNAL INSPECTION. ENGINE WAS REMOVED, CRATED, AND SHIPPED TO MANUFACTURE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.
ENGINE TESTING WAS COMPLETED ON 3/5/2024 AT PRATT & WHITNEY PLANT 81. THE ENGINE WAS VISUALLY INSPECTED AND OPERATED ON A TEST CELL DYNO. THE ENGINE MET ALL PRODUCTION SPECIFICATIONS. PIC/SIC REPORTED LOSS OF POWER AND VIBRATION WAS NOT VERIFIED BY TESTING. THE ENGINE WAS ABLE TO MEET AND EXCEED POWER RATINGS AND VIBRATION PARAMETERS WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATION. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED.
DULLES SECURITY FOOTAGE WAS OBTAINED AND REVIEWED. THE AIRCRAFT CAN BE SEEN IN GROUND ICING CONDITIONS FOR THE DURATION OF THE TIME IT WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP THROUGH TAKEOFF. THE PIC DID NOT ACCOMPLISH ANY PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS CONTAINED WITHIN THE COMPANY OPERATIONS MANUALS OR AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL (AFM) FOR GROUND ICING. THE PIC ELECTED TO NOT DE-ICE THE AIRCRAFT AS DIRECTED BY THE COMPANY FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANUALS AND AFM. THE PIC DID NOT ACCOMPLISH ANY CONTAMINATION CHECKS 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
FROM AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE IIC AND CMT IT WAS DETERMINED THE PIC DID NOT ENGAGE THE INERTIAL SEPARATOR FOR TAXI OR TAKEOFF, THE PIC DID NOT USE ANY ANTI-ICE PROTECTIONS, PROP HEAT, PITOT HEAT, OR STALL HEAT FOR TAXI OR TAKEOFF. FROM AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE CMT IT WAS DISCLOSED BY A GROUND CREW MEMBER THAT THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT, AND ONE ADJACENT TO THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT, HAD ICE/SNOW BUILDUP PRIOR TO FLIGHT.
IT IS BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ICING EVENT THAT REDUCED AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE AND FORCED THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.