Cessna 414A N194JA

Summary

On 9 January 2005 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 414A registered N194JA was involved in an accident near Harbor Springs, Michigan, United States. 5 people were 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

9 January 2005 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Harbor Springs, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Harbor Springs Airport (MGN)

Coordinates

45.4256, -84.9133

Aircraft

Cessna 414A

Registration

N194JA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Harbor Springs → Marion

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI05CA051

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation by his failure to remove the accumulated airframe ice which resulted in deteriorated aircraft takeoff performance. Airframe ice, the snow bank and the fence were contributing factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted a snow bank and fence during an aborted takeoff. The pilot landed about 15 minutes prior to the accident to pick-up his passengers. He stated that the airframe "encountered light ice" during his descent and he "activated the deice boots" during the instrument approach. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane prior to departing MGN. He stated that there was "no significant ice on the aircraft" during the preflight inspection. The pilot stated that when the airplane reached rotation speed during takeoff it "felt mushy" and he "immediately decided to abort the takeoff." The pilot stated that the aircraft slid on some snow at the departure end of the runway and impacted a snow bank and fence. Photos were taken by responding local law enforcement and FAA inspectors that show leading edge ice on the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer. An FAA inspector reported that the leading edge ice was about 1/4-inch thick. During preflight pilots should "remove all frost, snow, and ice from aircraft surfaces because even very small amounts may adversely affect the aerodynamic properties of a wing," according to a FAA publication. During preflight pilots should check the deice boots for "tears, abrasions, and cleanliness," according to the Cessna 414A Pilot Operating Handbook.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.