Cessna 340 N512SK

Summary

On 4 March 1994 at about 00:16 local time, a Cessna 340 registered N512SK, operated by James Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Westhampton, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1994 at 00:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Westhampton, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Suffolk County (Gabreski) (FOK)

Coordinates

40.8291, -72.6500

Aircraft

Cessna 340

Registration

N512SK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

James Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Trenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC94FA052

2 people died.

The pilot's inadequate inflight decision which resulted in ice accretion on the aircraft, degradation of aircraft performance, an aerodynamic stall, loss of control and inflight collision with the ground. Factors were icing conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HAD CLEARED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24, CIRCLE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 06. THE AIRPLANE BROKE OFF THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24, AND WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS AT A LOW ALTITUDE, ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 06, FLYING IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. ON THE BASE LEG, THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE LEFT, AND A WITNESS SAW THE LEFT WING MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS SAID THAT BEFORE THE CRASH, THE ENGINE SOUNDED 'LIKE THEY WERE AT FULL RPM. SEVERAL PILOTS FROM THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD (ANG) AT THE AIRPORT WENT TO THE CRASH SITE MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH, AND OBSERVED ICE ON THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS AND EMPENNAGE. ONE OF THE ANG PILOT REPORTED HIS OBSERVATION OF THE ICE ON THE AIRCRAFT: 'IT APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 1/8 INCH IN THICKNESS THROUGHOUT THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING SURFACES AND THE REAR EMPENNAGE SECTIONS . . .' ANOTHER ANG PILOT DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AS, VISIBILITY LESS THEN ONE MILE WITH 'FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET.' THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.