Cessna 402CISLAND AIRLINES INC
Nantucket, MA, USA · 2003-09-23·N405BK
What happened
NTSB summary, verbatimThe pilot was conducting an instrument landing system approach during night instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was observed to descend toward the runway threshold to an altitude consistent with the approach decision height. A witness reported that he heard the airplane overhead, and assumed that the pilot had performed a missed approach. He described the engine noise as "cruise power" and did not hear any unusual sounds. Shortly thereafter, he received a call from airport operations stating that an airplane had crashed. The airplane impacted the ground about 1/4 mile to the left of the runway centerline, about 3,500 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. A weather observation taken around the time of the accident, included a visibility 1/2 statue mile in fog, and an indefinite ceiling at 100 feet. The witness described the weather at the time of the accident as thick fog, and "pitch black."
Photographs
2the aircraft, and what the investigators foundPhotographs are NTSB docket attachments — works of the US government, in the public domain. Captions are the Board’s own.
Probable cause
the Board's determinationThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a missed approach. Factors in this accident were fog and the night light conditions.
NTSB analysis
from the final reportThe pilot was conducting an instrument landing system approach during night instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was observed to descend toward the runway threshold to an altitude consistent with the approach decision height. A witness reported that he heard the airplane overhead, and assumed that the pilot had performed a missed approach. He described the engine noise as "cruise power" and did not hear any unusual sounds. Shortly thereafter, he received a call from airport operations stating that an airplane had crashed. The airplane impacted the ground about 1/4 mile to the left of the runway centerline, about 3,500 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. A weather observation taken around the time of the accident, included a visibility 1/2 statue mile in fog, and an indefinite ceiling at 100 feet. The witness described the weather at the time of the accident as thick fog, and "pitch black."