CHI00LA059

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 208B · Warsaw, IN · January 20, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
January 19, 2000, 23:07 local (Jan 20, 2000, 04:07 UTC)
Place
Warsaw, IN
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N9457BCessna 208B
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
Status
Completed · report March 2, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000119041419A
Case key
48563

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Probable cause

the misjudged unsafe/hazardous condition by the pilot. Factors to the accident were the precautionary landing being performed by the pilot and the snow covered runway. Additional factors were the dark night, the snowing weather condition, the airport perimeter fence, and the railroad track.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Miscellaneous/otherTakeoff - initial climb
Airport equipment,snow removal - other
Unsafe/hazardous condition - misjudgedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - snowFactor
Light condition - dark nightFactor
OccurrenceLanding
Precautionary landing - performedPilot in commandFactor
OverrunLanding - roll
Airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - snow coveredFactor
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - fenceFactor
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - otherFactor

Analysis

According to the pilot's written statement, he taxied the airplane to the approach-end of runway 27 and announced on the UNICOM frequency his intentions of taking-off runway 27. The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, he '...noticed a plow truck coming south, and started to abort and realized I couldn't and tried [to] keep flying, but couldn't, and put it [the airplane] down turning to miss any objects...'. The aircraft impacted the perimeter fence of the airport and came to rest on a railroad track embankment. The pilot did not report any anomalies with the airplane or its engine. The pilot stated that he did not hear any advisories from the plow truck on the UNICOM frequency. According to the snow-plow operator's written statement, he was removing snow from the taxiway for runway 18-36 which was approximately 100 feet north of runway 09-27 at the time of the accident. The snowplow operator stated that runway 27 had been cleared of snow earlier in the evening, but had accumulated approximately .25-inches of snow at the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On January 19, 2000, at 2307 eastern standard time, a Cessna 208B, N9457B, owned and operated by Planemasters LTD, of West Chicago, Illinois, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with terrain following a precautionary landing and subsequent overrun immediately after takeoff from runway 27 (6,000 feet by 150 feet, snow covered/asphalt) at the Warsaw Municipal Airport, Warsaw, Indiana. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 and was on an active IFR flight plan. The commercial rated pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of Clark County Airport, Jeffersonville, Indiana.

According to the pilot's written statement, he taxied the airplane to the approach-end of runway 27 and announced on the UNICOM frequency his intentions of taking-off runway 27. The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, he "...noticed a plow truck coming south, and started to abort and realized I couldn't and tried [to] keep flying, but couldn't, and put it [the airplane] down turning to miss any objects...". The aircraft impacted the perimeter fence of the airport and came to rest on a railroad track embankment. The pilot did not report any anomalies with the airplane or its engine. The pilot stated that he did not hear any advisories from the plow truck on the UNICOM frequency.

According to the snow-plow operator's written statement, he was removing snow from the taxiway for runway 18-36 which was approximately 100 feet north of runway 09-27 at the time of the accident. In a telephone conversation, with the investigator-in-charge, the snowplow operator stated that runway 27 had been cleared of snow earlier in the evening, but had accumulated approximately .25-inches of snow at the time of the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N9457B
Reported as
Cessna 208B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
C208B0074
Airframe hours
7,557
Engine
P&W PT6-A-114, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Registered owner
Planemasters Ltd
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
ASW
Destination
JVY · Jeffersonville, IN
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
ASW · Warsaw Municipal Airport, runway 27, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
44
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
4,500 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 4,300 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
Wind
70° at 2 knots
Visibility
1 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
1,600 ft
Temperature
27 °F, dew point 27 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
ASW

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.