Burlington Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Burlington, Vermont 05401
Tuesady, January 16, 1990 17:58 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CESSNA 310 DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AS IT WS BEING VECTORED TO AN ILS APPROACH AT NIGHT IN IMC CONDITIONS. SUBSEUQENTLY IT CRASHED IN LAKE CHAMPLAIN. THE LAST RECORDED ALTITUDE WAS 2100 FT, EXCEPT THE CONTROLLER SAW IT MOMENTARILY AT 1200 FEET PRIOR TO ITS DISAPPEARANCE. COMMUNICATIONS WERE NORMAL. A PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS RECOVERED SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, AN EXAM OF THIS PORTION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL WHY THE ACDNT HAD OCCURRED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DESCENT AND CRASHED IN A LAKE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/16/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1758
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City BURLINGTON
Event State VERMONT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 05401
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BURLINGTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BTV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 334
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1750 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID BTV
Elevation of weather observation facility 334
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 800
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1274
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 16 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2010
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42453
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5115J
NTSB Number NYC90FA054
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 310R
Aircraft Series Identifier 310R
Aircraft Serial Number 310R0235
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 1 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 100
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NEIL F. O'DONOHUE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 216 BERRY RD.
Aircraft Owner City FREDONIA
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 14063
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MALCOLM FRENCH
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2852 BASELINE RD.
Operator City GRAND ISLAND
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 14072
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code DKK
Departure City DUNKIRK
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1630
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code BTV
Destination City BURLINGTON
Destination State VT
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 15
Runway Length 7807
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --