Cessna P337H N15EM

Summary

On 15 June 2008 at about 17:10 local time, a Cessna P337H registered N15EM was involved in an accident near Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 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

15 June 2008 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cape Elizabeth, Maine, United States

Coordinates

43.5550, -69.8200

Aircraft

Cessna P337H

Registration

N15EM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Millinocket → Caldwell

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08FA215

2 people died.

The pilot's improper decision to continue the flight in instrument meteorological conditions after experiencing an attitude indicator malfunction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departing on a cross-country flight, the pilot contacted a flight service station. The pilot was informed that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended, and after obtaining a weather briefing he filed an instrument-flight-rules (IFR) flight plan. The airplane departed in visual meteorological conditions and the pilot subsequently informed air traffic control that he was experiencing a problem with the airplane's artificial horizon, and that he wanted to try to conduct the flight under VFR. Approximately 15 minutes later, the pilot requested activation of his IFR flight plan. The airplane was flying in instrument meteorological conditions with light to moderate precipitation when radar and radio communications were lost. Radar data indicated that the airplane's heading varied from southwest to northwest, with a turn to the southeast immediately prior to the loss of radar contact. The airplane maintained an altitude between 7,900 and 8,200 feet, except for the last recorded altitude reading, which was at 7,200 feet. The airplane impacted the Atlantic Ocean at a high rate of speed and was not recovered. Review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that its most recent annual inspection was conducted about 6 months prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.