Cessna 402A N4550Q

Summary

On 2 July 2021 at about 11:10 local time, a Cessna 402A registered N4550Q, operated by Island Wings Inc, was involved in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. 7 people were 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

2 July 2021 at 11:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale Executive Airp (FXE)

Coordinates

26.1982, -80.1718

Aircraft

Cessna 402A

Registration

N4550Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

2

Operator

Island Wings Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Lauderdale → Treasure Cay

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA281

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff with a fogged wind screen and sun glare, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a taxiway sign.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff, the forward wind screen began to fog and became progressively worse. As he increased the pitch for rotation, all forward visibility was obscured when the sun glare moved directly into his eyes and combined with the condensation on the wind screen. Shortly after rotation, the airplane impacted a taxiway directional sign on the right side of the runway with the left main landing gear. The pilot returned and landed without incident. A post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The operator reported that they updated their operating procedures to formalize the requirement during preflight to remove any debris or condensation from the windscreen, which may include the use of hot water. In addition, the subjects of windscreen cleanliness and sunshade devices were added to their training manual.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.