- Date
- December 22, 1988, 08:38 local (13:38 UTC)
- Place
- Franklin Twp, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N244RMCessna 414
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881222056979A
- Case key
- 36261
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
Before takeoff, the crew indcd the flt would be for 'check rides' & that they planned to 'shoot approaches' & proceed to the practice area to do some airwork. ATC advised the plts that the cloud bases were at 3500 feet MSL. Elevation of the terrain (where the acft subsequently crashed) was 1225 feet. Prior to the acdnt, witnesses saw the acft circling in a steep turn at low altitude. One witness rprtd it was circling as if to land. Subsequently, it impacted in a steep nose down, slight left wing low, attitude. Several witnesses rprtd that one or both engs sputtered before the acft crashed; however, an exam of the engs revealed no indcn of a preimpact malfunction or failure. An exam of the airframe revealed the landing gear was in the extended position when the acft crashed. Exam of the props indicated that both engs were producing an equal amount of power. The airwork to be completed included steep turns, stalls, and flight at minimum control airspeed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N244RM
- Reported as
- Cessna 414
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0823
- Airframe hours
- 4,521
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520(NB), 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Erie Airways
- Registered owner
- Erie Airways Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 3, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- ERI · Erie, PA
- Airport
- ERI · Erie
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,712 total · 154 in this make and model · 1,498 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ERI, 10 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.