Cessna T210H N2221R

Summary

On 22 November 1994 at about 15:20 local time, a Cessna T210H registered N2221R, operated by Donald E. Huntley, was involved in an accident near Mount Hamilton, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 November 1994 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Hamilton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Isabel Valley (NONE)

Coordinates

37.6804, -121.7492

Aircraft

Cessna T210H

Registration

N2221R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald E. Huntley

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → San Jose

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA038

4 people had minor injuries.

the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain an adequate airspeed and inadvertent entry into a stall/mush condition during the initial climb due to frost on the airframe which impeded the airplane's climb performance. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper preflight inspection and inadequate frost removal procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT PARKED THE AIRPLANE OVERNIGHT IN 20-DEGREE FAHRENHEIT WEATHER, AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 32 DEGREES THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE PILOT OBSERVED AN ACCUMULATION OF FROST ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. HE SCRAPED SOME OF IT OFF. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT OBSERVE FROST ELSEWHERE ON THE AIRPLANE, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO EXAMINE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WINGS. A PASSENGER STATED THAT HE OBSERVED FROST ON ALL EXPOSED UPPER AIRCRAFT SURFACES PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF. DURING THE ENGINE RUN-UP AND THE GROUND ROLL PORTION OF THE TAKEOFF, ALL OF THE GAUGES INDICATED THAT NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION WAS BEING ACHIEVED. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT WHEN HE ROTATED, THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO 'GLAZE OVER,' AND BY THE TIME HE HAD CLIMBED TO 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT ZERO. THE PILOT STATED HE THEN RAISED THE AIRPLANE NOSE FOR A FEW SECONDS IN ORDER TO BE CERTAIN OF CLEARING THE OBSTACLES WHICH HE KNEW WERE LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS AT STALL SPEED AND DESCENDED INTO THE TERRAIN ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.