# NTSB CHI97FA059: Cessna 401, N5AS, Crystal, MN, January 22, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Field investigation · Final report - Date: January 22, 1997, 13:26 local (19:26 UTC) - Place: Crystal, MN - Location: 45.0373° N, 93.3595° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Crystal, MN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0373&lon=-93.3595&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 31, 1997 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10417 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI97FA059 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10417/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=10417 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA059 ## Probable cause failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure adequate removal of airframe ice from the aircraft during preflight. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, takeoff - initial climb - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - airframe - ice (cause) - ice/frost removal from aircraft - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - object - fence ## Analysis After landing at the airport, the airplane was taxied to a fixed base operator to pick up a passenger. Rime ice, as thick as two inches was seen on the airplane, and the pilots of the airplane attempted to manually remove the ice. The airplane was topped off with fuel before departure. During departure from runway 31R, the airplane collided with a fence. Numerous areas of ice were found on the airplane following the accident. Both propellers had similar damage. The pilots had reported to the FAA that the left engine had sustained a loss of power. The passenger reported that he did not notice any loss of power from either engine. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the left engine was found. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 22, 1997, at 1326 central standard time (cst), a Cessna 401, N5AS, piloted by a commercially certificated pilot, was substantially damaged during a collision with a fence and snow covered terrain, shortly after takeoff. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The two pilots received minor injuries, the passenger was uninjured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating on an IFR flight plan. The flight departed Crystal Airport, Crystal, Minnesota, at 1324 cst, with an intended destination of Lansing, Michigan. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION N5AS was flown into Crystal Airport to pick up a passenger and fly that passenger to Lansing, Michigan. After landing at Crystal Airport N5AS was taxied to a fixed base operator (FBO) to pick up the passenger. Employees from the FBO where the airplane stopped to pick up the passenger reported that when the airplane taxied in there was a significant amount of ice on many portions of the airplane. One employee stated that there was approximately two inches of ice on the spinners of the engines. The employee also stated that the ice appeared to be mostly rime ice on the airplane. Employees of the FBO reported that the pilots of the airplane did not request any deice of the airplane, and began manually removing ice from the airplane. The employee of the FBO also stated that the airplane's fuel tanks were all filled before the airplane departed. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION N5AS departed from runway 31R at the Crystal Airport, which is listed at 3,263 feet long. The airplane impacted with the fence which surrounds the airport property. On top of the fence barbed wire had been strung. The investigator in charge (IIC) approximated the top of the fence at 12 feet high. After impacting the fence the aircraft came to rest in a housing area. The right wing outboard of the engine nacelles had separated from the airframe. The left wing leading edge was crushed, and U shaped, and torn back from its original location. The inboard areas on both wings between the engine nacelles and the fuselage had numerous small areas of ice adhering to their upper surface. Both tip tanks had separated from the airframe. Both propellers appeared to have similar leading edge and bending damage present. All of the propeller blades when checked by the IIC would rotate in their hub. The landing gear and flaps were found retracted. The horizontal stabilizer did not show any signs of significant damage. The horizontal stabilizer leading edge deice boots had numerous small areas of ice adhering to its upper surface. The deice boot of the vertical stabilizer had rime ice which was approximately three quarters of an inch thick adhering to three quarters of its length. The leading edge of the vertical stabilizer behind the deice boot had torn sheet metal, which appeared to have been caused by barbed wire. TESTS AND RESEARCH The pilots had reported to a Federal Aviation Administration employee that the left engine had sustained a loss of power. The IIC removed the cowling from the left engine to examine the engine. All engine controls appeared to be connected. No signs of any loose fuel, air, or oil lines were noted. The top spark plugs were removed from each cylinder, and appeared to be a light gray color with no discrepancies noted. When the propeller was rotated compression was found on all cylinders of the engine. The top of the fuel manifold was removed and fuel was found in the fuel manifold. The magnetos were tested by the IIC on January 29, 1997. Both magnetos would produce spark when rotated using an electric drill, form each of the 6 terminals on the back of the magneto. When the left wing tank fuel cap was removed a small amount of fuel was seen still in the ruptured fuel tank. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Two employees of the FBO where the airplane had received fuel watched the airplane attempt departure. Both employees reported that the engines sound normal, and did not notice any abnormalities. One employee reported that the airplane appeared to rotate at the intersection that runway 31R makes with runway 5L-23R. The approximate distance from the beginning of the takeoff roll to this point would be 2,450 feet. During the examination of the left engine by the IIC the passenger from the flight returned to the airport. The IIC questioned the passenger if he had noticed any loss of power on either engine during takeoff. The passenger said that he did not notice any loss of power on either engine, and reported that after the airplane lifted off from the runway it felt as if the airplane was being held back, and not accelerating. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5AS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5AS-1999-12-22), registration cancelled 1999-12-22, S/N 401-0208 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 401 - Registry model: [Cessna 401](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-401) (registry code 207590C) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 401-0208 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520-E 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Air-One - Registered owner: Thomas A Casper - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: MIC - Destination: LAN, LANSING, MI - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MIC, Crystal, runway 31R, 3,263 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 3,745 total, 409 in this make and model, 3,680 as pilot in command, 143 in the last 90 days, 57 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 10 knots - Visibility: 2.75 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,100 ft overcast - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: MIC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970122000769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970122000769A), Jan 22, 1997: Cessna 401, Minneapolis, MN, Substantial damage. Landed refuel iced up. Declined deicing. Pilot knocked off ice. Settled on takeoff. Hit pole and fence. Misjudgment (-23) aircraft departed on return trip to… ## Docket (13 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=10417. 3.6 MB in all. - Supplement a (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 257 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615527&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Supplement%20A-Master-Rel.pdf - Supplement b (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 375 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13614736&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Supplement%20B-Master-Rel.pdf - Supplement e (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 153 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615081&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Supplement%20E-Master-Rel.pdf - Supplement s (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 84 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615084&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master-Rel.pdf - Pilot-operator aircraft accident report NTSB form 61201-2 (item 5, PDF, 21 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13614739&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report%20NTSB%20Form%2061201-2-Master-Rel.pdf - Witness statements (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 206 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615305&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Master-Rel.pdf - Brooklyn park police department reports (item 7, PDF, 14 pages, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13614935&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Brooklyn%20Park%20Police%20Department%20Reports-Master-Rel.pdf - Release of aircraft wreckage NTSB form 612015 (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13614936&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage%20%20NTSB%20Form%20612015-Master-Rel.pdf - Photo 1 main wreckage (item 9, PDF, 1 page, 17 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615569&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%201%20%20Main%20Wreckage-Master-Rel.pdf - Photo 2 left propeller (item 10, PDF, 1 page, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615310&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%202%20%20Left%20Propeller-Master-Rel.pdf - Photo 3 right propeller (item 11, PDF, 1 page, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615573&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%203%20%20Right%20Propeller-Master-Rel.pdf - Photo 4 left horizontal deicer boot (item 12, PDF, 1 page, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615314&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%204%20%20Left%20Horizontal%20Deicer%20Boot-Master-Rel.pdf - Photo 5 vertical deicer boot (item 13, PDF, 1 page, 12 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13615544&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%205%20%20Vertical%20Deicer%20Boot-Master-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.