- Date
- January 29, 1990, 21:00 local (Jan 30, 1990, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Williston, VT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4688BCessna 208B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900130002129A
- Case key
- 36524
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to de-ice the airplane prior to departure, and his decision to make the takeoff at a weight that exceeded both the maximum structural takeoff weight and the reduced takeoff weight allowed for icing conditions resulting in an inadevertent stall.
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
The pilot failed to deice the wings prior to the takeoff and overloaded the airplane by 360 lbs structurally and 1100 lbs for flight in icing conditions. There was moderate snow falling at the time of takeoff. The takeoff roll was described as long and a witness saw the wings rocking from side to side after takeoff. The airplane struck trees one mile off the end of the runway, crashed and burned. Post accident investigation found snow contamination on the top of one wing that did not burn and the top of the horizontal stabilizers and elevators. No discrepancies were found with the engine or airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4688B
- Reported as
- Cessna 208B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 208B0169
- Airframe hours
- 371
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-114, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Business Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- ALB · Albany, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BTV · Burlington, runway 15, 7,807 × 150 ft
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,110 total · 270 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BTV, 1 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.