Cessna T337C N2522S

Summary

On 15 May 2000 at about 18:33 local time, a Cessna T337C registered N2522S, operated by United States Forest Service, was involved in an accident near Alamogordo, New Mexico, 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 May 2000 at 18:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

32.8800, -105.9494

Aircraft

Cessna T337C

Registration

N2522S

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

United States Forest Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00GA089

2 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and the subsequent inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the loss of engine power on both engines for unknown reasons and the terrain induced turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Four minutes after takeoff, the airplane was observed flying straight towards rising terrain (other pilots reported that there had been uplifting air movement there the previous several days). Radar data indicates that the airplane leveled off, and began to slow down. The airplane changed direction and flew over the edge of a 1,000 foot canyon; it then turned north towards rising terrain a second time. A witness said that he couldn't hear any engine sound; he observed the airplane spin towards the ground. He then heard an impact sound, and saw smoke. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a vertical attitude. The airplane was found with the rear propeller feathered, and the front propeller with no signatures of power. The rear engine fuel selector was found between main and off, and the front engine fuel selector was found on auxiliary. Normal procedure is to fly for an hour after takeoff on the main tanks. Pilots on later flights in this area reported "strong turbulence and very strong variable vertical air movements." The FAA recommends that a mountain ridgeline should be crossed at an angle to allow the pilot to turn away from the ridge with the least amount of turn required should down air be encountered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.