# NTSB NYC90FA060: Cessna 208B, N854FE, Schuyler Falls, NY, January 30, 1990

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: January 29, 1990, 20:33 local (Jan 30, 1990, 01:33 UTC)
- Place: Schuyler Falls, NY
- Coordinates: 44.550334, -73.750228 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5503&lon=-73.7502&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed, report November 9, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 36523
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC90FA060
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/36523/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC90FA060

## Probable cause

LOSS OF CONTROL INFLIGHT AFTER THE AIRPLANE STALLED DURING CLIMBOUT. THE STALL RESULTED FROM A LOSS OF LIFT DUE TO A CONTAMINATED WING SURFACE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DE-ICE THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb
  - weather condition - snow
  - weather evaluation - poor, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - fog
  - ice/frost removal from aircraft - not performed, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - light condition - dark night
  - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - wing,skin - contamination
  - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled
  - object - tree(s)

## Analysis

THE CESSNA 208B MADE A TAKEOFF WITH LIGHT WET SNOW FALLING, AT NIGHT. THE AIRPLANE REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 700 FT AGL PRIOR TO MAKING A STEEP DESCENT, STRIKING TREES AND IMPACTING INVERTED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT LIFT OFF POINT AND INITIAL CLIMB RATE APPROACHED THAT SHOWN IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL FOR SHORT FIELD TECHNIQUE. TWO OTHER CESSNA 208'S PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FROM THE SAME AIRPORT, ONE 13 MINUTES PRIOR AND THE OTHER 3 MINUTES PRIOR. RADAR DATA SHOWED THEY CLIMBED AT A SLOWER RATE. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD COME FROM A HANGAR AND WAS NOT DEICED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. A PILOT FLYING A IDENTICAL AIRPLANE WITH A SIMILAR LOAD COMMENTED THAT HIS CLIMB RATE WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL. ANOTHER PILOT COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST WET SNOW OF THE YEAR AND IT WAS STICKING TO HIS ENGINE COWLING.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N854FE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N854FE-1992-10-05), registration cancelled 1992-10-05, S/N 208B0172 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 208B
- Registry model: [Cessna 208B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-208b) (registry code 2073701) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 208B0172
- Airframe hours: 390
- Engines: P&W PT6A-114 600 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: E.W. Wiggins Airways, Inc., doing business as Wiggins Airways
- Registered owner: Federal Express Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, November 21, 1989, 91 hours before
- Departed: PLB, PLATTSBURGH, NY
- Destination: SYR, SYRACUSE, NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: PLB, Clinton County, runway 19, 5,000 × 100 ft

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 46; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 4,999 total, 1,482 in this make and model, 4,823 as pilot in command, 125 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Wind: 90° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling: 300 ft
- Temperature: 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: PLB, 2 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19900129001249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900129001249A), Jan 29, 1990: Cessna 208B, Plattsburgh, NY, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Failed to remove snow from airframe prior departure. Climbed out steeply stalled descended into trees.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.