Cessna T-50 N41759

Summary

On 3 September 2013 at about 00:30 local time, a Cessna T-50 registered N41759, operated by HUF Thomas, was involved in an accident near Lenox Twp., Pennsylvania, 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

3 September 2013 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lenox Twp., Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Huf (PS50)

Coordinates

41.7247, -75.6931

Aircraft

Cessna T-50

Registration

N41759

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

HUF Thomas

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lock Haven → Lenox Twp.

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ERA13FA402

2 people died.

The pilot's intentional visual flight into night instrument meteorological conditions and thunderstorms and his improper decision to takeoff without getting updated weather information after a briefer cautioned him during a previous flight that visual flight rules flight was not recommended along his route, which resulted in collision with trees and terrain during a visual approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed at night on the final leg of a cross-country flight without getting an update on weather information he had been provided by a briefer about 3 1/2 hours before the accident. At that time, the briefer cautioned the pilot about instrument flight conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and advised him that visual flight rules flight was not recommended throughout his entire flight route due to a convective SIGMET and severe thunderstorm watches and warnings in effect throughout that area. The pilot acknowledged the information and stated that he would "look at weather radar." One witness, whose home was located 2 miles southeast of the destination airport, observed the airplane flying low in a valley just above the trees and below the surrounding ridgelines. He stated that the sound of the engines was loud and continuous as the airplane flew out of his sight from the west to the east, returned, and then flew westbound just above the tree tops. The airplane then flew off in the direction of an "enormous black cloud with lightning flashing out of it" and eventually out of his view. Examination of the wreckage and the wreckage path revealed evidence of engine power at impact, and no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane or flight control system were found that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.