Cessna 208B N207TA

Summary

On 21 December 2001 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 208B registered N207TA was involved in an accident near Lewiston, Maine, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 December 2001 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lewiston, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Auburn Lewiston Municipal Airp (LEW)

Coordinates

44.0483, -70.2833

Aircraft

Cessna 208B

Registration

N207TA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lewiston → Manchester

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

IAD02LA021

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately ensure the wings were free of contamination prior to departure. Factors included the operator's inadequate de-icing procedures and the snowy weather conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Snow fell as the pilot cleared the airplane using a ladder and broom. A pre-takeoff contamination check was also conducted from the cockpit before the airplane taxied onto the snow-covered runway. Once on the runway, the pilot back-taxied its full length and deployed a 10-degree flap setting for departure. The pilot began the takeoff roll and rotated the airplane when it reached 90 knots. The main wheels lifted off momentarily, then settled back on the runway. The takeoff was aborted, but the airplane overran the runway departure end of the runway and collided with the localizer antenna. A post-accident review of the company operations manual by the operator and the Federal Aviation Administration resulted in more stringent de-icing requirements for the flight crews and the addition of takeoff performance planning, as well as aborted takeoff criteria considerations for operations on contaminated runways. Included in the new de-icing procedures was the mandatory use of de-icing fluid prior to taxi in freezing precipitation with outside air temperatures between plus 2 and minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.