NYC96FA101

At 0857 edt, the pilot of Cessna P210N, N450T, contacted the FAA Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at Millville, NJ. He stated his intention to file an IFR flight plan from Morristown, NJ to Bedford, MA, at 5000 feet and requested a standard weather briefing. The briefer provided info from AIRMET Zule, Update 1, that the freezing level was at 10,000 feet, but said '...the freezing level up around Boston is at 5,000 feet, so anything 5 and above you might pick up icing there.' The pilot filed for 7,000 feet. At 0945 edt, after the pilot had received his weather briefing, AIRMET Zulu, Update 2 was issued, which called for light occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in the clouds and precipitation. Also, it cautioned that the freezing level would be from the surface to 4,000 feet, north of the pilot's destination, sloping to 8,000 feet at his departure point. At 1035, the pilot took off. About 30 minutes later, the airplane's single turbine engine experienced a completed loss of power. The airplane then descended in IMC and collided with trees during a forced landing. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failure of the engine, airframe, fuel system, or propeller. Investigation revealed N450T was not certifcated for flight in known icing conditions, and that the pilot did not use all anti-ice and deicing equipment as specified by the operator's manual. The pilot of another airplane departed an airport near the accident site. He reported icing at 7,000 feet, but no icing after a descent to 5,000 feet.

History of flight

On May 6, 1996, at 1107 eastern daylight time, a Cessna P210N, N450T, was destroyed during a forced landing and collision with terrain near Ridgefield, Connecticut. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Morristown, New Jersey, at 1035. An IFR flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot contacted the Millville Automated Flight Service Station by telephone, at 0857, and received a preflight pilot briefing for an IFR flight from the Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU), to Bedford, Massachusetts. According to a voice recording of the pilot's briefing, the pilot initially planned to file for 5,000 feet; however, at the conclusion of the briefing the pilot filed an IFR flight plan for an altitude of 7,000 feet.

According to air traffic control (ATC) records, the pilot contacted the New York Departure Control after takeoff from MMU, and was issued a final altitude of 7,000 feet. After a frequency change, the pilot reported to the new controller that the airplane was level at 7,000 feet. About 1500, the pilot stated to the controller, "Uh, New York departure, five zero tango having an engine problem." The controller responded that the Danbury Airport was "just off your left there, uh say intentions," and the pilot stated that he wanted a descent into Danbury.

During the next 5 minutes, N450T was provided magnetic headings by the controller to the Danbury Airport (DXR). The controller also provided the DXR weather to N450T, which included a ceiling of 800 foot broken, 2,200 overcast, and a visibility of 1 1/2 miles with light rain and fog. When the pilot acknowledged the weather, he also stated, "Uh, we copied that, we've lost our engine." At 1503, the controller asked the pilot if he wanted to "try and get the field visually or try for the approach," which the pilot responded, "I don't know whether we've got enough, uh, glide to get to do the full approach."

At 1504:21, the pilot stated, "Is the field just to our right sir," and the controller responded, "Yes sir, ya have it." This was followed by the controller requesting several times if the pilot had Danbury in sight; however, there was no response, and at 1505:22, the controller requested that N450T change frequency and contact the Danbury Tower. The request was not acknowledged.

At the time of the frequency change, a New York controller contacted the Danbury Tower controller by telephone and advised him that N450T was, "Fifteen hundred feet, about ah one and a half southwest, it looks like he could make a right base for runway eight right now, but were not talking to him...actually approach just lost radios with him..."

At 1505:35, the pilot of N450T contacted the Danbury Tower controller and stated, "That's five zero tango, we've lost our engine, we're trying [to] make the field." The tower controller advised the pilot of the weather and altimeter setting, and the pilot responded, at 1506:07, "Five zero tango, we're going to try it." No other transmissions were received from N450T, and at 1506:47, the Danbury Tower received an emergency locator transmitter signal.

The airplane was located on the side of a hill, about 3/4 of a mile south of the Danbury Airport. The accident occurred during the hours of daylight about 41 degrees, 21 minutes north latitude, and 73 degrees, 30 minutes west longitude.

Personnel information

The pilot, Mr. Richard F. Blanchard, held a Commercial Pilot Certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land, multiengine sea, and instrument airplane.

His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Third Class Medical Certificate was issued on June 8, 1995.

Examination of Mr. Blanchard's pilot log book revealed that his total flight time was estimated to 4,000 hours, of which approximately 600 hours were in make and model. He had logged about 561 hours of actual weather experience, of which about 75 hours were in this make and model during the previous 4 years.

The flight log book revealed that Mr. Blanchard's first flight in a turbine powered airplane was on October 8, 1992. A 1 hour bi-annual flight review conducted on October 24, 1994, was his only documented flight with a flight instructor in turbine powered airplanes. Four tenths of that 1 hour was under simulated instrument flight.

Meteorological information

The pilot of N450T contacted the Millville Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), at 0857, and received a complete preflight weather briefing for an IFR flight from Morristown to Bedford, Massachusetts. A request for a transcript of the AFSS weather briefing provide to the pilot was requested during the on scene accident investigation. In response to the request, the Millville AFSS provided a statement that, "All services provided by Millville AFSS were normal and there were no pertinent transmissions." A second request was made by the NTSB investigator for a transcript of the briefing, and during October 1996, a certified voice recording of the pilot preflight briefing was provided.

A review of the certified copy of the voice recording of the briefing revealed that the pilot stated he would be departing Morristown for Bedford, at 5,000 feet, and requested a standard weather briefing.

The AFSS briefer provided the pilot an Airman's Meteorological Information (AIRMET). The AIRMET covered the pilot's area of flight and forcasted IFR conditions throughout the day. The briefer also stated, "They've got another AIRMET for, disregard, the other one's for icing, but the freezing level is up about 8,000 [feet], correction 10,000 [feet], so you'd have to go 10,000 [feet] or above to pick up icing."

After the current and forecast weather and winds were provided to the pilot, the briefer stated, "Uh, lets see, the freezing level up around Boston is at 5,000 feet, so anything 5 and above you might pick up icing there."

At the conclusion of the weather briefing, the pilot filed an instrument flight plan, and requested an altitude of 7,000 feet.

The AIRMET available to the Millville AFSS briefer at the time the pilot received his weather briefing was AIRMET Zulu , Update 1, for Icing and freezing level, valid until May 6, 1000. It provided the following information:

AIRMET Icing; For Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York lower, New Jersey, Pennsylvania lower eastern, and coastal waters. From 50 miles south of Bangor, Maine, to 100 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Eire, Pennsylvania, to Toronto, Canada, to 50 miles south of Bangor; Light occasional moderate rime/mixed icing in the clouds and in precipitation, from the freezing level to 20,000 feet.

Freezing level; Surface to 4,000 feet, north of Portland to Toronto, Canada, line slipping to 8,000 feet Fort Wayne, Indiana to Newark, New Jersey, and 11,000 to 13,000 feet south of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis, Indiana.

At 0945, May 6, 1996, AIRMET Zulu, Update 2 for Icing and freezing level, valid until May 6, 1600, was issued. It provided the following information:

AIRMET Icing; For Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and coastal waters. From Portland, Maine to 160 miles southeast of Bangor, Maine to 200 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, to 160 miles east-southeast of Salisbury, Maryland, to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Binghamton, New York, to Syracuse, New York, to Portland; Light occasional moderate rime icing in the clouds, below 16,000 feet.

Freezing level; Surface to 4,000 feet, north of Portland to Toronto, Canada, line slipping to 8,000 feet near Fort Wayne, Indiana and Newar