Cessna 421 N84HA

Summary

On 22 February 2021 at about 16:45 local time, a Cessna 421 registered N84HA, operated by Wheels Up LLC, was involved in an accident near St. Marys, Pennsylvania, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 February 2021 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Marys, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

St Marys Muni (OYM)

Coordinates

41.4123, -78.4988

Aircraft

Cessna 421

Registration

N84HA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1984

Engines

2

Operator

Wheels Up LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgeport → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA134

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s decision to continue the approach to a snow-covered runway in low-visibility conditions with limited ability to visually differentiate the left runway edge from the snow berm that ran along that side of the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the pilot performed a GPS approach in light snow and with 0.5-mile visibility, the airplane touched down on the left edge of the snow-covered runway and struck a snow berm. The airplane slid along the snow berm before it rotated about 210° and came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage, the pressure bulkhead, and the floor area forward of the bulkhead. The runway, its markings, and the runway lighting were covered in snow that was 3 to 4 inches deep. The snow depth, combined with the limited visibility, likely resulted in the pilot’s difficulty in identifying the runway edge from the snow berm on the left side of the runway. The notices to air mission (NOTAM) published for the airport did not contain any field conditions noting the snow depth or the snow-covered runway lights. Furthermore, the airport manager, who was new to the position, was not able to issue a NOTAM about the runway conditions because he had not yet been authorized to do so.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.