Cessna 208B N854FE

Summary

On 30 January 1990 at about 01:33 local time, a Cessna 208B registered N854FE, operated by E.w. Wiggins Airways, Inc., was involved in an accident near Schuyler Falls, New York, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 January 1990 at 01:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Schuyler Falls, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Clinton County (PLB)

Coordinates

44.5503, -73.7502

Aircraft

Cessna 208B

Registration

N854FE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

E.w. Wiggins Airways, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plattsburgh → Syracuse

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90FA060

1 person died.

LOSS OF CONTROL INFLIGHT AFTER THE AIRPLANE STALLED DURING CLIMBOUT. THE STALL RESULTED FROM A LOSS OF LIFT DUE TO A CONTAMINATED WING SURFACE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DE-ICE THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE CESSNA 208B MADE A TAKEOFF WITH LIGHT WET SNOW FALLING, AT NIGHT. THE AIRPLANE REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 700 FT AGL PRIOR TO MAKING A STEEP DESCENT, STRIKING TREES AND IMPACTING INVERTED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT LIFT OFF POINT AND INITIAL CLIMB RATE APPROACHED THAT SHOWN IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL FOR SHORT FIELD TECHNIQUE. TWO OTHER CESSNA 208'S PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FROM THE SAME AIRPORT, ONE 13 MINUTES PRIOR AND THE OTHER 3 MINUTES PRIOR. RADAR DATA SHOWED THEY CLIMBED AT A SLOWER RATE. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD COME FROM A HANGAR AND WAS NOT DEICED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. A PILOT FLYING A IDENTICAL AIRPLANE WITH A SIMILAR LOAD COMMENTED THAT HIS CLIMB RATE WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL. ANOTHER PILOT COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST WET SNOW OF THE YEAR AND IT WAS STICKING TO HIS ENGINE COWLING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.