Cessna 401B N88VA
2 October 1999 · Caldwell, New Jersey, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 2 October 1999 at about 11:51 local time, a Cessna 401B registered N88VA, operated by Frank Ferrari, President, was involved in an accident near Caldwell, New Jersey, United States. 8 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured, 5 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 11:51
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Caldwell, New Jersey, United States
- Nearest airport
- Essex County Airport (CDW)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401B
- Registration
- N88VA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Frank Ferrari, President
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → South Bend
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC00FA001
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight, which resulted in an attempted takeoff with the pitot covers installed. An additional cause was the pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff, while factors included the misleading airspeed indications, and the proximity of the drainage ravine to the end of the runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot aborted the takeoff run after the airspeed indication rose to about 80 miles per hour, but would not go any higher. He could not stop the airplane, before it went off the end of the runway, over a berm, and into a drainage ravine. When the airplane was pulled out of the ravine, both pitot covers were still in place, around the pitot tubes. The runway was 4,553 feet long, calculated takeoff distance was about 2,525 feet, and calculated accelerate-stop distance was approximately 2,950 feet. Tire skid marks started around 3,600 feet from the approach end of the runway, and led to the wreckage. About a year earlier, another airplane was destroyed when it ran into the same ravine, which was located about 200 feet from the end of the runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar 1998 | Cessna 401 | La Puntilla, Chile | Aero Chaiten | Fatal | 5 |
| 2 Jun 2000 | Cessna 401 | La Romana, Dominican Republic | Air Century | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Sep 1998 | Cessna 401 | Lancaster, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2000 | Cessna 401A | Andrews, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1997 | Cessna 401 | Crystal, Minnesota, United States | Air-One | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 2001 | Cessna 401A | Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1999 | Boeing 737 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1999 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Berlin, New Jersey, United States | Anil S. Iyer | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 1999 | Robinson R-22B | Fairfield, New Jersey, United States | Mustang Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 1999 | Piper PA-30 | Morristown, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 May 1999 | Piper PA-18A-150 | Cross Keys, New Jersey, United States | David Dempsy | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 1999 | Cessna 190 | Somerville, New Jersey, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |