- Date
- February 6, 2020, 06:56 local (14:56 UTC)
- Place
- Eureka, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N24MGCessna 208
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: VFR encounter with IMC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20200206004309A
- Case key
- 100925
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 delayed response to initiate a go-around during a night visual approach over water after the airplane entered instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of forward visibility and subsequent impact with the water.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While the pilot was on a visual approach to the airport and descending over water on the left base leg, about 100 ft above the water's surface, the airplane entered instrument meteorological conditions with no forward visibility. The pilot looked outside his left window to gauge the airplane's altitude and saw "black waves of water approaching extremely rapidly." He tried to pull back on the yoke to initiate a climb, but the nosewheel contacted the water. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During the cross-country night flight, the airline transport pilot was on a visual approach to the airport. While descending over water on the left base leg, about 100 ft above the surface, the flight entered instrument meteorological conditions with no forward visibility. The pilot looked outside his left window to gage his height and saw "black waves of water approaching extremely rapidly". He tried to pull back on the yoke to initiate the climb, but the nose wheel contacted the water. The airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted in the ocean water. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24MG
- Reported as
- Cessna 208 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 208B0850
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 19,184
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Redding Aero Enterprises Inc
- Registered owner
- Redding Aero Enterprises Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2020
- Departed
- MHR · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- ACV · Arcata/Eureka, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EKA · Murray Field, runway 12, 3,011 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Onboard weather
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 6, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 10,156 total · 1,282 in this make and model · 9,644 as pilot in command · 153 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- ACV, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 31, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.