Cessna 402A N402RL

Summary

On 5 December 1995 at about 11:32 local time, a Cessna 402A registered N402RL was involved in an accident near Avon Park, Florida, 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

5 December 1995 at 11:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Avon Park, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Avon Park Municipal (AVO)

Coordinates

27.5902, -81.4996

Aircraft

Cessna 402A

Registration

N402RL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Exeuma

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

ATL96FA017

2 people died.

The failure of the pilot to maintain the proper climb rate and direction of flight following takeoff, resulting in a collision with obstacles. The reason for the loss of control and subsequent unusual attitude ground impact was not determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff at dawn on a foggy morning, the airplane collided with electrical transmission wires about one mile from the end of the runway, on an extended line about 50 degrees left of the extended runway centerline. The left wing tip fuel tank (left main) was partially severed from the airplane, breaching the tank. Additionally, the top of the vertical stabilizer and rudder were severed, and a portion of the windscreen was separated. A suggestion was made by the operator that the autopilot trim may have been improperly set, precipitating a nose pitch down upon engagement of the autopilot during the climb. The airplane continued to fly for about 20 minutes, then impacted in a steep right wing down attitude into a densely wooded area that was surrounded by open terrain. The ensuing fire precluded any determination of engine malfunction, systems' discrepancies, or wire strike damage to the left propeller. No determination of pilot incapacitation was possible because of the post impact fire. Based upon the ground witness statement, the left engine was probably inoperative following the wire strike. The impact attitude was inconsistent with a decreasing speed loss of control with the left engine inoperative. However, the flight control trim settings, left main fuel tank selected, and throttle quadrant settings all may have been indicative of pilot incapacitation that precluded proper emergency procedure response. Additionally, the airplane impacted into a densely wooded area surrounded by flatter terrain absent of tall obstacles.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.