Cape Air

Cessna 402

On September 9, 2021, about 1527 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 402, N88833, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Provincetown, Massachusetts. The pilot and the six passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a scheduled passenger flight. The flight was being operated by Cape Air (flight 2072) and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan from Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, Massachusetts to Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC), Provincetown, Massachusetts. The flight departed BOS about 1504. The pilot was cleared by air traffic control for the ILS RWY 7 instrument approach procedure into PVC. Another Cape Air pilot was holding short of runway 25, waiting for the accident airplane to land. He said the captain of accident airplane contacted him over the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency to ask if the airport lights were on. The pilot holding short responded that the lights were on, that the visibility had improved, and that the rain was subsiding. The pilot holding short first saw the accident airplane after it had landed and was about halfway down the 3,502-ft-long runway. As the airplane got closer to his position, he could tell that it was traveling “a little faster than it should be.” The pilot could not estimate the airplane’s speed, but it was traveling faster than he would have expected, and he knew it would not have room to stop on the remaining runway. The airplane then took off and entered a slow climb. The pilot holding short said the attitude of the airplane appeared normal, but it was climbing slower than he thought it should. The airplane cleared the localizer antennas at the far end of the runway, then the perimeter fence, before it struck trees. The airplane disappeared into the trees, and he then saw a ball of flames. A preliminary review of airport surveillance video revealed it was raining heavily at the time the accident airplane landed. As the airplane touched down on the runway, a splash of water was observed. During the landing rollout, as the airplane passed the airport’s windsock, the windsock’s movement was consistent with the airplane landing with a tailwind. The airplane then began to climb as it neared the end of the runway. The airplane entered a shallow climb and collided with trees. The airplane disappeared into the trees and shortly after a large fireball was observed. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest upright approximately 200 ft from its initial contact with the trees. A postimpact fire consumed portions of the left and right wings. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The airplane was retained for further examination. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane multiengine land. He also held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. In addition, the pilot held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for single and multiengine airplanes, and instrument airplane. His most-recent Federal Aviation Administration firstclass medical certificate was issued on April 2, 2021. The pilot reported a total of 17,617 flight hours, of which, 10,000 hours were in the Cessna 402. The weather conditions reported at PVC at 1537 included wind from 210 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 3 miles in heavy rain and mist, few clouds at 200 ft, an overcast ceiling at 500 ft, temperature 21 degrees C, dewpoint 21 degrees C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 29.79 inches of mercury.

Cessna 402

The pilot of the multi engine airplane, operated by a regional airline, was conducting a positioning flight in night instrument meteorological conditions. After takeoff, the airplane made a slight left turn before making a right turn that continued until radar contact was lost. The airplane reached a maximum altitude of 700 feet before impacting terrain about 3 miles northwest of the departure airport. Post accident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact failures. The weather reported at the airport, about the time of the accident, included a visibility of 5 statute miles in light rain and mist and an overcast ceiling at 400 feet. Analysis of the radar and weather data indicated that, with the flight accelerating and turning just after having entered clouds, the pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation.

Cessna 402

The pilot accepted an intersection departure and waived the wake turbulence holding time. A Boeing 737-300 departed ahead of him, and according to pilot, the Boeing's nosewheel lifted off the runway just as it passed him. The pilot also noted that the Boeing and its exhaust smoke drifted to the left of the runway's centerline. A wake turbulence advisory and takeoff clearance were issued by the tower controller and acknowledged by the pilot. The pilot initiated the takeoff, and after liftoff, the left wing dropped. It contacted the runway, and the airplane rolled inverted. The airplane then slid off the left side of the runway and a post-crash fire developed.

Cessna 402

The pilot departed on a scheduled flight conducted under night instrument meteorological conditions. Arriving in the area of the destination airport, the weather was reported as, winds from 220 degrees at 18 knots, gusts to 25 knots; 1/2 statute miles of visibility and haze; vertical visibility of 100 feet. The pilot was vectored and cleared for the ILS 24 approach. As the airplane crossed the glideslope, the pilot observed that the "ride" became increasingly bumpy and turbulent, with a strong wind component from the right. The approach lights came into view as the airplane neared the runway, but soon disappeared due to the low visibility. The pilot executed a missed approach, and as full power was applied, the airplane began to move laterally to the left. During the missed approach, a "thunk" was heard on the left side of the fuselage, and the airplane descended into the trees. The airplane came to rest in a wooded area about 1/4 mile from the Runway 24 threshold, about 1,000 feet to the left of the extended centerline. Review of the approach plate for the ILS 24 approach revealed that the glide slope altitude at the final approach fix for the non-precision approach, which was located about 4 miles from the approach end of the runway, was 1,407 feet. The glide slope altitude at the middle marker, which was located about 0.6 miles from the approach end of the runway, was 299 feet. Review of radar data revealed that the airplane intercepted the glideslope about 4 miles from the threshold of runway 24. In the following 2 minutes, 30 seconds, the airplane deviated below and returned to the glideslope centerline approximately 4 times, with a maximum deviation of 2-dots below the glideslope centerline. About 1-mile from the runway, the airplane began a trend downward from the glideslope centerline, descending below the 2- dot low deviation line of the glideslope to an altitude of about 300 feet, when the last radar hit was recorded. During the approach, the airplane's ground speed varied between 50 and 125 knots. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual chapter on Navigation Aids, Instrument Landing System (ILS), it stated that "Make every effort to remain on the indicated glide path." It also cautioned the pilot to, "Avoid flying below the glide path to assure obstacle/terrain clearance is maintained."