Date & Time: Oct 26, 1993 at 1552 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N82
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Calibration
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Atlantic City - Winchester - Newport News
MSN:
FF-17
YOM:
1988
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
6700
Captain / Total hours on type:
2000
Aircraft flight hours:
3353
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Winchester Regional Airport under VFR mode and was completing a routine point-to-point flight to Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF), Virginia after conducting a flight inspection of the ILS at Winchester Regional Airport. After takeoff, while flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the crew requested permission to climb but this was denied by ATC due to traffic. Awaiting an IFR clearance, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Knob located about 30 miles southwest from Winchester Airport. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure that the airplane remained in visual meteorological conditions over mountainous terrain, and the failure of Federal Aviation Administration executives and managers responsible for the FAA flying program to:
(1) establish effective and accountable leadership and oversight of flying operations;
(2) establish minimum mission and operational performance standards;
(3) recognize and address performance-related problems among the organization's pilots; and
(4) remove from flight operations duty pilots who were not performing to standards.
Final Report:
N82.pdf6.01 MB