- Date
- April 6, 1982, 09:23 local (14:23 UTC)
- Place
- Scandia, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4375ABeech E55
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820406007979A
- Case key
- 72566
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
At 0834 EST, the pilot departed bradford airport on an IFR flight to alton, IL. About 4 minutes later, he advised that he was having difficulty with his flight instruments while in IFR conditions. He attempted to return to the departure airport by using d.f. steers, but was unable. He then contacted cleveland center and was cleared to climb to 8000 ft MSL. The center recommended that the pilot proceed to toronto, Canada to the nearest airport with acceptable weather. However, the pilot was unable to control his altitude and heading, and subsequently, entered a dive and crashed. The HSI (attitude indicator), directional gyro and turn coordinator were found to be pneumatic pressure instruments, all operating from the same system. The pneumatic pressure system incorporated two pressue pumps, one on each engine. An inspection of the pumps revealed that both pump drives were sheared. Raido calls from the pilot had identified that all pressure instrument readings were faulty. Weather: turbc, low cig, snow.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4375A
- Reported as
- Beech E55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-803
- Airframe hours
- 3,689
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Control Chief Corp.
- Registered owner
- Control Chief Corp.
- Departed
- Bradford, PA
- Destination
- Alton, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,273 total · 353 in this make and model · 1,139 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5° at 15 knots
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.