- Date
- February 4, 2018, 16:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Great Barrington, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N303TLCessna T303
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20180204007359A
- Case key
- 96715
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 pilot’s failure to see the taxiway when returning to the ramp from the snow-covered runway, which resulted in the airplane rolling down an embankment.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while taxiing onto the snow-covered runway for departure, he was unable to see the runway markings. He added that he decided to cancel the flight and return to the ramp, but the airplane exited the runway and went down an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while taxiing onto the snow-covered runway for departure, he was unable to see the runway markings. He added that he decided to cancel the flight and return to the ramp, but when the airplane exited the runway, it went down an embankment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N303TL
- Reported as
- Cessna T303 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T30300286
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 2,650
- Engines
- Cont Motor LTSIO-520-AE3, 250 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor TSIO-520-AE3B, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pegasus Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Pegasus Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 2017
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- GBR · Great Barrington, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GBR · Walter J Koladza, runway 11, 2,579 × 50 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 5, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,427 total · 223 in this make and model · 1,205 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KPSF, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N303TL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.