- Date
- February 3, 1983, 12:02 local (17:02 UTC)
- Place
- Sunbury, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N12LFAero Commander 680FL P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830203002289A
- Case key
- 35027
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 aprx 0928 EST, the plt obtained a fss wx briefing by telephone. He was briefed on conditions of low ceilings, fog, light rain, drizzle, snow & blowing snow along his route. However, he did not ask about icing conditions & the briefing did not include a flt precaution for icing nor a SIGMET (issued at 0820 EST) which forecasted moderate to severe mixed icing. While en route, the plt made several atlitude changes by request. When he was queried about a heading deviation, he replied 'we're having a little problem.' This was the last radio contact. ATC received no radio calls concerning icing problems or an emergency. Witnesses near the crash site saw the acft come out of the clouds in a near vertical descent, rotating in a nose down attitude, then impact & burn. Airframe ice up to 1/2 inch thick was found on/near parts that were not fire damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12LF
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 680FL P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0141610
- Airframe hours
- 5,052
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720 B1B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mainhardt Robert G.
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 1982 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- TEB · Teterboro, NJ
- Destination
- CLI · Clintonville, WI
- 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,650 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPT, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.