12/23/2010 ERA11FA078

NTSB Identification: ERA11FA078

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, December 05, 2010 in Leverett, MA
Aircraft: CESSNA U206G, registration: N9742Z
Injuries: 2 Fatal, 2 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be
corrected when the final report has been completed.

On December 5, 2010, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Cessna U206G, N9742Z, registered to Airborne
Maintenance Incorporated and operated by an individual, crashed in an open field in Leverett, Massachusetts,
during a visual flight rules flight from Dillant-Hopkins Airport (EEN), Keene, New Hampshire to Long Island
Mac Arthur Airport (KISP), Islip, New York. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and flight
following was activated for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, personal flight. The airplane incurred
substantial damage. Two of the passengers were killed, the pilot and a third passenger received serious injuries.
The flight departed about 1515, earlier that day.

Five minutes prior to the accident, the flight was handed off to Bradley Approach from Boston Air Route Traffic
Control Center. Shortly after this the flight was lost from radar. The last radar contact was at 1528, at an altitude
of 1,900 feet mean sea level (msl), and a ground speed of 87 knots. There were no distress calls received from
the flight by Bradley Approach control.

The pilot stated to an on scene Massachusetts State Police representative that the flight was in cruise at 3,000
feet msl when the airplane started to develop an unspecified engine problem. About 2 minutes later, the engine
stopped producing power. To assist the pilot in trouble shooting the engine problem, the occupant seated in the
right front seat switched places with the person seated in the middle right seat. The pilot saw an open field and
elected to make an off field landing there. The airplane cleared the adjacent trees to the open field and the pilot
indicated that he saw electrical wires behind the trees. The airplane contacted the top wire and crashed into the
open field inverted.

The pilot seated in the left seat, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land,
multiengine airplane land, and instrument airplane. He was issued a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-
class medical certificate on April 20, 2010, with no limitations. The pilot reported he has a total of 390 hours,
which 90 hours are in the accident airplane.

The passenger, seated in the right seat, age 62, held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft –
helicopter and a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. He held a flight instructor
certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-helicopter. He was issued an FAA second-class medical certificate on
August 11, 2010, with limitations of must have available glasses for near vision. He had documented 10,000 total
hours at that time. He had a mechanic certificate with ratings for airframe and powerplant.

The Cessna U206G, a six place all metal, high wing, single-engine airplane, variable-pitch propeller, with fix
landing gear, serial number U20606636, was manufactured in 1982, and issued a standard airworthiness
certificate, in the normal category. The airplane was powered by a Continental IO-520-DCF, 300-horsepower
engine, with a Hartzell three bladed propeller. The airplane’s engine was overhauled in April of 2004. The
engine’s last inspection was performed on October 25, 2010, at which the engine had a total of 1,459.2 hours
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since major overhauled. The airplane’s last inspection was October 25, 2010 and the airplane had a total of
6,556.8 hours at that time. The airplane was on the manufacturers 100 hours maintenance schedule. At the time
of the accident, the airplane had accumulated a total of 6,572.1 hours.

The closest official weather observation was at Orange Municipal Airport (ORE), Orange, Massachusetts, about
13 miles northeast of the accident site. The ORE 1552 METAR, was winds from 310 degrees at 9 knots gusting
to 15 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; overcast clouds at 4,200; temperature minus 02 degrees Celsius (C); dew
point minus 10 degrees C; altimeter 29.52 inches of mercury.

The main wreckage was located at 42 degrees, 26.391 minutes north and 072 degrees, 29.317 minutes west,
about 105 feet away from the wire run location. The top wire was observed frayed and remained intact; drooped
above the ground.The airplane was on an estimated heading of 210 degrees when the airplane’s main landing
gear caught the top wire on a series of power lines running east and west, at an estimated height of 72 feet above
ground level.. The airplane became inverted as the wire separated from its attachment points at each nearby
tower. The airplane impacted the ground right wing first, in a near inverted attitude. The airplane came to rest
facing approximately a 360 degrees heading.

The left main gear spring detached from its securing bracket and remained attached to the fuselage. The left
wheel assembly separated and was located below the wire run. The right main separated from the fuselage
attachment point and came to rest about 35 feet northeast of the main wreckage. The right wing tip section was
crushed, bent, and curled down (up inverted) from the strut wing attachment point. The right wing strut separated
from the fuselage attachment, ripped into the cabin area, and folded over inside the cabin area. The right side of
the cabin fuselage section was crushed and buckled outward. The right side of the fuselage roof area was
crushed in to the top of the glare shield. The left side of the fuselage did not buckle. The left wing and wing strut
remained intact and the upper side of the wing incurred impact damage. The windshield was shattered and
fragmented on the ground. The vertical stabilizer was bent and curled toward the left.

The lower engine cowl separated from it respective attachment points exposing the bottom the engine. The
engine was separated from the engine mounts and was resting on top of the upper cowling. The lower section of
the engine bay was observed covered with engine oil. The airplane’s cowl flap and belly was observed with
engine oil streaking to the lower tail section of the airplane. The propeller and engine stayed attached. One of the
three bladed propeller blades stuck in the soil. The propeller’s spinner and the propeller blades were observed
with no damage; the blades were observed in the low pitch angle.

A wreckage examination was conducted by the airplane’s airframe and engine manufacturer with National
Transportation Safety Board and FAA oversight. All of the flight control surfaces were observed attached in their
respective locations. Flight control cable continuity was established from all surfaces into the cockpit area. The
flap actuator was observed in the flaps full extended position, the control rod from the actuator to the right flap
was observed separated. Both wing fuel tanks were breached. The first responders and the responding FAA
inspector observed fuel at the accident site. The fuel selector was observed in the left (left wing fuel tank)
position. Examination of the airplane’s fuel system from the wings fuel tanks to the fuel gascolator revealed no
discrepancies. Fuel was observed in the gascolator. The auxiliary electrical fuel pump operated when electrical
power was applied to the motor.

Engine control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to their respective engine control components.
All were safetied at their respective control levers. The engine incurred impact damage to the intake manifold and
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vacuum pump. The oil sump and crankcase incurred damage and were not breached. The oil service cap was
observed installed and secured. The oil level dip stick was observed installed and secured. A borescope
inspection of the cylinders did not reveal any discrepancies. No discrepancies were noted with the spark plugs.
Both magnetos were observed in their respective location. Several ignition wires on the top of the engine were
observed cut by impact damage. The fuel pump was observed with impact damage and safety wired. Fuel was
observed when the fuel pump outlet fuel line was disconnected. The fuel pump drive shaft rotated when turned by
hand. The fuel pump drive shaft coupling was intact. The bolt that secures the alternator’s belt adjustment brace
to the engine was missing from its respective location. The alternator belt was observed loose.

The responding FAA inspector stated that the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was not transmitting at the
accident site. During the wreckage examination the ELT was observed in the armed position and connected to
the antenna. When the ELT was place in the “ON” position the ELT operated and was heard on the emergency
frequency channel.

The engine was retained by the National Transportation Safety Board for further examination.

The passenger seated in the middle row, right seat, succumbed to his injuries 7 days after the accident.

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