- Date
- November 27, 1990, 10:37 local (16:37 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Island, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N10QPCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901127053449A
- Case key
- 14959
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
Flight into known adverse weather conditions and flare misjudged. Factors related to the accident were: icing conditions resulting in reduced aircraft controllability and restricted visual outlook.
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.
Analysis
The pilot said that shortly after takeoff he encountered moderate to heavy icing conditions. He elected to return to his departure apt, and was observed by ATC personnel to make an erratic final approach, then dropping from about 20 feet AGL to the runway. Pilot was able to taxi the acft to the ramp without further incident, but post accident investigation revealed both wing spars damaged and a damaged right propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10QP
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0025
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Suburban Air Freight Inc.
- Destination
- EAR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GRI · Grand Island, runway 35, 1,001 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,804 total · 2,658 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.