Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Eel River Cross Canada
Sunday, October 20, 1996 12:12 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On October 20, 1996, at 1212 Atlantic daylight time, a Piper PA31-350, N744W, operated by Telford Aviation Inc., Waterville, Maine, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a descent near Eel River Crossing, New Brunswick, Canada. The commercial pilot and seven passengers were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the on-demand charter flight that originated at Port-Menier, Quebec, at 1110. An IFR flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 135. The seven passengers and their hunting equipment were flown to Port-Menier on October 15, 1996, in a Telford Aviation Inc. Swearingen SA-226. On October 19, 1996, N744W and a Cessna 208 were flown to Port-Menier for the return flight of the passengers, scheduled for October 20. While en route, both airplanes landed at Gaspe, Quebec, where N744W was "topped" off with fuel. Both airplanes then continued the last 30 minutes of the positioning flight to Port-Menier. On October 20, the pilot of the Cessna 208 obtained a weather briefing and flied a flight plan for both airplanes to Bangor, Maine, to clear customs. At 1100, the Cessna 208 departed Port-Menier with the passenger's equipment, and at 1110, N744W departed with the passengers. About 45 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of N744W completed a frequency change and contacted the Moncton Air Traffic Control Center, where he reported that he was 30 miles northeast of Charlo, New Brunswick, at 6,000 feet. The airplane was not in radar contact. A few minutes later the pilot reported to the Moncton controller that he needed to proceed direct to the Charlo Airport due to a rough running engine. The controller advised the pilot to go direct to Charlo, and requested that he contact the Charlo Flight Service Station (FSS). At 1203, the pilot contacted the Charlo FSS and indicated that he needed to land at Charlo. The FSS attendant provided the pilot the Charlo weather, which included a ceiling of 200 foot overcast, visibility 3/4 mile, and a RVR of 3,000 feet. The pilot then requested the FSS attendant for an airport that was VMC. The FSS attendant provided the weather for two airports that were VMC, and the pilot then stated his intent to land at Charlo. During the conversations with Charlo, the pilot informed the attendant that he had a rough running engine. Also during this time frame, the pilot of N744W reported to the pilot of the Cessna 208 on their company frequency that, "he had a high cylinder head temperature." The pilot did not indicate which engine was the problem during any of his transmissions. During the next several minutes, the pilot of N744W received information about the ILS runway 13 approach to Charlo from the FSS attendant, and the pilot of the Cessna 208. A few minutes prior to the crash, a resident on the east side of the Charlo Airport telephoned the FSS, and advised the attendant that he heard an airplane fly over in a westerly direction. The resident reported that he heard one engine running normally and one engine backfiring. Witnesses on the west side of the airport reported observing the airplane fly over a house and wires, followed by a wing over turn, and impact with the ground, about 3 miles west of the Charlo Airport. A post crash fire consumed the airplane. Initial examination of the wreckage revealed the landing gear and flaps retracted, and the rudder trim actuator was set for right rudder. Disassembly of the engines and propellers revealed no pre-impact failure, and neither propeller was feathered. Parties to the investigation were the New Piper Aircraft Inc., Textron-Lycoming, Hartzell Propeller Inc., and Allied Signal. See Transportation Safety Board of Canada report.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/20/1996
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1212
Event Time Zone --
Event City EEL RIVER CROSS
Event State --
Event Country CANADA
Zipcode of the event site
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1215
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID YCL
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Not Reported
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.75
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 8
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 8
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 7000
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 20 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 31 2003 12:56PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N744W
NTSB Number NYC97RA006
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-31-350
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-31-350
Aircraft Serial Number 31-7952244
Certified Max Gross Weight 7000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/Foreign Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 100 AIRPORT ROAD
Operator City WATERVILLE
Operator State ME
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 04901
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Unknown
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code YPN
Departure City PORT-MENIER
Departure State CN
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BGR
Destination City BANGOR
Destination State ME
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - uncontrolled
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:25AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --