- Date
- January 8, 1999, 17:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Allentown, PA
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31UVCessna 310R
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990108000399A
- Case key
- 45624
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 pilot's improper decision to reduce too much power during the landing flare.
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 operated the airplane's deicing boots after ice accumulated on the wings. The right wing's outboard, 3-foot section, did not clear. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport, and completed an ILS approach. He reduced power early in the flare, and the airplane made a hard landing. Personnel on the ground observed about 4 inches of ice on the outboard leading edge of the right wing.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 1999, at 1720 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 310R, N31UV, was substantially damaged during landing at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Canadian-certificated commercial pilot and five passengers were uninjured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight between Bangor International Airport (BGR), Bangor, Maine, and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he was in icing conditions, and that he operated the deicing boots after ice accumulated on the wings. The right wing's outboard, 3-foot section, did not clear. The pilot decided to divert to Lehigh Valley, and completed the ILS RWY 13 approach. Then, "at point of flare, [I] reduced power too much at 15 feet over runway, and aircraft landed hard. Taxied to [the] FBO and discovered...[the] damage."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, after the airplane landed, ground personnel observed about 4 inches of ice on the outboard leading edge of the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31UV
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R1572
- Airframe hours
- 6,188
- Engine
- Continental IO-520MB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tim Mccandless, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 1998 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- BGR · Bangor, ME
- Destination
- PNE · Philadelphia, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ABE · Lehigh Valley Intl, runway 13, 5,797 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 3,720 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 1999, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 619 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.