History of Flight
On October 29, 2019, at 1058 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414A airplane, N959MJ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Colonia, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot’s spouse reported that he planned to depart Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia, about 0900 local; however, he delayed his departure due to the weather at his destination, Linden Airport (LDJ), Linden, New Jersey. She reported that the pilot was scheduled to give a lecture in Queens, New York, in the afternoon.
Review of radar and flight plan data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the airplane departed JYO at 0950 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and proceeded on course to LDJ. At 1053:20, the airplane’s radar altitude was 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and its position was over the DAPVY GPS waypoint, which was the first waypoint associated with the GPS-A circling instrument approach procedure to LDJ. The airplane then turned to a northeast heading, which was consistent with the final approach course for the GPS-A approach. For the next 2 1/2 minutes, the airplane descended along the final approach course and crossed the final approach fix (GEZSY) about 1,200 ft msl. During the descent, groundspeed varied. The airplane continued to descend and crossed the subsequent waypoint of 3 nautical miles (nm) from BAUTZ about 700 ft msl. The airplane subsequently descended to 600 ft msl, maintained course, and remained at 600 ft for about 1 minute. At 1058:02, the airplane’s flight track turned left off course and it rapidly descended. The final radar return, at 1058:07, showed the airplane at 200 ft msl headed northwest.
Air traffic control communications revealed that the pilot was communicating with New York Approach. About 1050, the controller provided a recently received pilot report (PIREP) for cloud bases at 500 ft overcast at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The pilot acknowledged and informed the controller that LDJ was reporting bases at 700 ft. At 1051:50 the pilot was cleared for the GPS-A nonprecision circling instrument approach procedure to LDJ. At 1056:56, the controller stated to the pilot, “say flight conditions.” The pilot immediately responded, “say again oh we're still IFR.” At 1058:06 the controller again asked to say flight conditions; there was no response. At 1058:12, the controller stated to the pilot, “check altitude immediately;” no response.
Two home surveillance cameras captured the final portions of the flight. The first video showed the airplane in a shallow left bank entering the camera view, then entering a rapid descending left turn. The second video captured about the final 4 seconds, showing the airplane in a descending steep left turn near the treetops, continuing to roll left, and descending out of view. Sound of impact was recorded about 1 second later. Both cameras showed the airplane flying below an overcast cloud ceiling. Two additional cameras recorded audio; both showed engines running until impact, with increasing engine sound in the final seconds. About 10 seconds after impact, a loud explosion was recorded.
A witness in his car about 200 ft from the accident site reported hearing a loud noise, saw the airplane in a 45° left bank about 80 ft above ground, flying west; he did not observe landing gear extended. He saw the airplane strike a tree and then a house. He reported the engines were “extremely loud.” Another witness, about 1/2 mile south, saw the airplane descend through an overcast cloud layer, noted engines “running fine, no stuttering,” landing gear down, and the airplane “lumbering along with the nose up” in level flight several hundred feet above trees. The airplane exited his view and he heard a loud impact about 10 seconds later.
Personnel Information
Fragments of the pilot's logbook were recovered but largely illegible. On an application for the pilot’s most recent medical certificate, dated April 3, 2019, he reported 7,173 total hours of flight experience, including 66 hours in the previous 6 months. On an aircraft insurance application from January 2019, the pilot reported 2,284 multiengine airplane flight hours, including 1,384 flight hours in the accident airplane. According to the pilot’s spouse, he had flown into the destination airport “hundreds of times.”
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, multiengine, low-wing airplane was manufactured in 1980. It was powered by two Continental TSIO-520-NB, 335-horsepower engines, modified with the RAM Aircraft conversion, and equipped with RAM Aircraft winglets and vortex generators. According to the RAM winglets and vortex generator airplane flight manual supplement, aerodynamic stall speeds varied with weight, bank angle, and configuration. For example, at weight between 6,750-5,200 lbs, 20° bank, flaps 15°, and landing gear down, stall speed varied from 76 to 67 knots indicated airspeed. The supplement stated maximum altitude loss during a conventional stall was approximately 550 ft.
Meteorological Information
The pilot requested weather information via ForeFlight Mobile on October 28 with a planned departure of 0830 on October 29. He obtained an additional briefing at 0920 on the accident day via telephone from Leidos Flight Service, specifically requesting current conditions and outlook for LDJ and Teterboro Airport (TEB), his alternate. The briefer asked if the pilot was aware of AIRMETs for IFR conditions; pilot confirmed. The briefer provided current and forecast weather at LDJ and TEB, including visibilities between 5 and 10 statute miles with drizzle and mist, ceilings between 700 ft agl and 2,500 ft agl. The pilot inquired when weather would improve in the Linden-Newark area; the briefer stated “there may be a slight improvement, still remaining marginal,” and that improved conditions could occur around 1500 zulu (1100 local).
The 1055 recorded weather at LDJ included an overcast ceiling at 700 ft agl, 10 statute miles visibility, calm wind. At 1115, LDJ reported 2 miles visibility, mist, overcast ceiling at 700 ft agl. The 1051 observation at EWR included broken ceiling at 800 ft and 4 statute miles visibility with light drizzle and mist. A PIREP from an Airbus A320 on final approach into EWR reported an overcast ceiling base of 500 ft mean sea level.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage was located in the basement of a residence. The airplane sustained significant impact and thermal damage from postcrash fire; wreckage was intermingled with house debris and rubble. The initial impact point was identified by large broken tree branches about 40 ft east of the main wreckage, oriented on a true heading of 278°. Multiple tree branches were cut at 45° with gray paint transfer consistent with propeller contact.
The largest piece of airframe was the forward cabin area, including left side cockpit instrument panel. Most of the right cockpit fuselage skin and instrument panel were consumed by fire. Complete flight control cable continuity could not be established because most of the left and right wings and empennage were consumed. Partial aileron and elevator cable continuity was observed moving when the left yoke was moved. The right flap chain indicated a flap setting of 15°. The left, right, and nose landing gear had separated; position could not be determined. The throttle, mixture, and propeller control levers were found full forward. Fuel selector handles were intermediate between main and crossfeed. The airspeed indicator indicated about 55 knots; the primary attitude indicator displayed a 120° left roll and 5° nose up pitch. The altimeter was set to 30.31 inches of mercury, indicating 200 ft. The heading indicator showed 260°, course set to 010°, heading bug at 050°. Altitude alerter set to 30,000 ft. Course deviation indicator showed airplane left of course. Ignition switches were ON.
The right engine separated from the wing, located in the basement forward of main wreckage. It sustained impact and thermal damage. The three-bladed propeller showed chordwise scratching, torsional twisting, and s-bending. Crankshaft continuity established; all cylinders displayed normal operating and combustion signatures and thumb compression. Magnetos turned freely; spark observed on all ignition terminals. No debris in fuel nozzles or manifold. The left engine separated and was under the fuselage, with similar propeller damage. Crankshaft continuity established; cylinders displayed normal signatures. Nos. 4 and 6 cylinders contained fire debris on valve seats preventing full closure. Left engine magnetos had significant thermal damage; ignition leads could not be tested. Turbine wheel of left turbocharger turned freely.
Communications
An MSAW low altitude alert activated at 1056:01 at the approach controller’s position for the accident airplane, with indicated altitude 1,000 ft msl. About 55 seconds later, the controller instructed the pilot to say flight conditions. At 1058:06, a second low altitude alert activated with altitude indicated 200 ft. The controller instructed, “say flight conditions,” then “check altitude immediately,” with no response.
Medical and Pathological Information
The autopsy report from the County of Middlesex Medical Examiner listed the pilot’s cause of death as blunt impact trauma of the head, manner of death accident. Contributing causes were smoke inhalation and blunt impact trauma of torso; soot was present in upper and lower airways. A cardiac monitoring device showed normal heart rhythm before impact and abnormal rhythm several minutes after impact. No other significant natural disease was identified except atherosclerosis in the aorta and a tumor on the left kidney. FAA toxicology detected irbesartan, famotidine, and tamsulosin in cardiac blood and urine. Carboxyhemoglobin was 34% in cardiac blood from FAA testing and 43% from the medical examiner.