# NTSB NYC96LA071: Beech C24R, N6625P, Philadelphia, PA, March 7, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 7, 1996, 18:36 local (23:36 UTC) - Place: Philadelphia, PA - Coordinates: 40.040641, -75.070205 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0406&lon=-75.0702&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report December 10, 1996 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 39156 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC96LA071 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/39156/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC96LA071 ## Probable cause the pilot's improper planning/decision, and his resultant flight into known icing conditions, which resulted in ice accumulation, loss of engine power, a forced landing, and subsequent collision with a residence and a vehicle. A factor relating to the accident was: the adverse weather (icing) condition. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal - planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor) - flight into known adverse weather - performed, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - airframe - ice (cause) - induction air control/system - ice (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - object - residence - object - vehicle ## Analysis The pilot received a preflight weather briefing and was advised of precautions for occasional moderated mixed and rime icing, as well as isolated severe mixed and clear icing, along the route of flight. En route, he encountered icing conditions and ice accretion on the aircraft. Manifold pressure began decreasing, and the pilot was unable to maintain altitude. Subsequently, he made a forced landing in a residential area, and the airplane struck a house and a car. The pilot stated, 'At 5000 feet, I expected to be above the freezing level, due to a temperature inversion, this was the case until I reached the Philadelphia area, I then encountered light mixed icing on the leading edges...Subsequently my manifold pressure dropped to 21 inches, and I began to lose altitude...Although I expected to receive an increase in manifold pressure on my descent, none occurred. At about 2000 feet, I felt that I could not make (a nearby airport) and declared a mayday. I was maintaining 95 knots.' Postaccident examination of the airplane included an functional check of the engine in a test cell. The engine operated rich below 1800 RPM, and takeoff power was achieved. No mechanical discrepancies were noted with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On March 7, 1996, at 1836 eastern standard time, a Beech C24R, N6625P, made a forced landing in a residential area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial pilot received serious injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the business flight which had departed Frederick, Maryland, about 1735, was operated on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot received a pre-flight weather briefing via telephone at 1604. A recording of the briefing revealed that the pilot was given flight precautions for occasional moderate mixed and rime icing, below FL 190 (19,000 feet), and isolated severe mixed and clear icing below 10,000 feet. In addition, the ceilings were reported as less and 1,000 feet along his route of flight and visibilities from one to three miles with rain, snow, and fog. The pilot then filed an IFR flight plan. The pilot reported airborne at 1735, and initially climbed to 5,000 feet. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated: "...At 5000 ft I expected to be above the freezeing level due to temp inversion. This was the case until I reached the PHL area. I then encountered light mixed icing on leading edges...I decided to land at PNE. Subsequently my manifold pressure dropped to 21 inches and I began to loose altitude...Although I expected to receive an increase in manifold pressure on my descent, none occured. At about 2000 feet I felt that I could not make the field and declared a MAYDAY. I was maintaining 95 kts. There were no suitable emergency landing sites...." The airplane struck the roof of a row house, about 3.3 nautical miles from the approach end of runway 6, and then descended to the street below where it struck an unoccupied, parked vehicle. The 1750 observation at Northeast Philadelphia Airport included a measured ceiling of 800 feet broken, visibility of 1 1/2 miles with light freezing drizzle, and fog, temperature 31 degrees Fahrenheit, and dewpoint 29 degrees Fahrenheit. The airplane and engine were examined under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector. No evidence of a mechanical failure was found. The engine was placed in a test cell and during the engine run, was found to be rich, but would still develop takeoff power. The Pilot's Operating Handbook contained the following under the Limitations Section, "FLIGHT IN KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS IS PROHIBITED." The only ice control item on the airplane was a heated pitot (airspeed) tube. When asked why he had flown in the weather, the pilot reported that he had received a second weather briefing just prior to departure with improving weather. A check of FAA records failed to find a record of the briefing. The pilot also reported that he had flown in similar conditions with no problems in the past. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6625P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6625P-1999-01-30), registration cancelled 1999-01-30, S/N MC-678 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech C24R - Registry model: [Beech C24R](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-c24r) (registry code 1151254) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: MC678 - Airframe hours: 2987 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Robert W. Schmelzer, doing business as Attitude Airways Corp. - Registered owner: Attitude Airways - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 1995, 145 hours before - Departed: FDK, FREDERICK, MD - Destination: TEB, TETERBORO, NJ - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: Northeast Philadelphia, runway 6, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,813 total, 1,782 in this make and model, 2,523 as pilot in command, 56 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark - Wind: 290° at 2 knots - Visibility: 1.5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 800 ft broken - Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: PNE, 5 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 19960307003689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960307003689A), Mar 7, 1996: Beech C24R, Philadelphia, PA, Substantial damage. Engine and fuel problems, unable maintain altitude, requested emergency landing, bounced off house roof, hit car. 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.