Cessna 441 N253SB

Summary

On 13 December 2022 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 441 registered N253SB, operated by Lyddon Aero Center, Inc., was involved in an accident near Liberal, Kansas, 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

13 December 2022 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Liberal, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Liberal Mid-America Regional (KLBL)

Coordinates

37.0400, -100.9600

Aircraft

Cessna 441

Registration

N253SB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

2

Operator

Lyddon Aero Center, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Liberal → Lubbock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

WPR23LA072

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, failure to set the parking brake, and his decision to exit the airplane with engines running to remove a wheel chock, resulting in the airplane’s unintended movement and subsequent collision with a hangar.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the multiengine airplane reported that, he had preflighted the airplane about 2 hours before his intended departure and asked ground crew to reposition the airplane. When the pilot was ready for departure, he reported that he did not do another preflight, but only walked around the nose of the airplane to get to the entrance door. After he started both engines, the airplane would not taxi forward. The pilot reported that he thought that he set the brakes, reduced both engines to an idle power setting, and exited the airplane. The pilot observed a chock on the airplane’s nosewheel, and after he removed the chock, the airplane began to move forward. He attempted to reboard the unoccupied airplane, however, was unable to and the airplane subsequently collided with a hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.