SCHUYLER FALLS, NY, USA
N854FE
CESSNA 208B
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.
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.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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