NYC84LA329

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna U206A · North Hudson, NY · March 3, 1984

Accident · FatalLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 2, 1984, 20:00 local (Mar 3, 1984, 01:00 UTC)
Place
North Hudson, NY
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
CFUQWCessna U206A
Weather
Night/dark
Status
Completed · report August 30, 1994
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
35779

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

An inflight collision with trees in an area of high terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's decision to takeoff after he received a briefing advising, 'VFR flight not recommended', the dark night conditions, and snow showers.

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.

In flight encounter with weatherCruise - normal
Planning/decision - improperPilot in commandCause
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Weather condition - cloudsFactor
Weather condition - snowFactor
Flight into known adverse weather - continuedPilot in commandFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterCruise
Became lost/disoriented - inadvertentPilot in commandFactor
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Proper altitude - not maintainedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The non-instrumented rated canadian pilot received a weather briefing, which included an advisory that VFR flight was not recommended. He filed a VFR flight plan & continued with the night cross-country flight. The pilot contacted burlington approach control & reported he was 29 miles east of burlington at 4500 feet in snow showers. Radar contact was not made & radio communication was not reestablished. On 7/6/90, the airplane was found by a hiker about 40 miles northwest of the burlingtion airport, where it had crashed on the east side of a mountain. This was about 60 miles from the last reported position. An investigation revealed that the airplane had flown into the side of wooded mountainous terrain at the 2000 foot level, heading northwest. At burlinton, (elevation 334 feet), the weather was in part: 1600 scattered, 3600 broken, visibility 6 miles with snow, wind from 350 degrees at 8 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
CFUQW
Reported as
Cessna U206A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
U206-0614
Airframe hours
2,557
Engine
Continental IO-520-A, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Joseph D. B. Cote'
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · September 27, 1983 · 80 hours before
Departed
ALB · Albany, NY
Destination
CYHU · St Hubert
Flight plan
VFR

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
36
Certificates
Foreign, Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Flight hours
1,140 total

Weather

Conditions
Night/dark
Wind
350° at 8 knots
Temperature
9 °F, dew point 1 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
BTV, 41 nm away