No fatalities

7 Feb 2020: Cessna 208 B — MOUNTAIN AIR CARGO INC — Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, MD, United States

On 7 Feb 2020, a Cessna 208 B operated by MOUNTAIN AIR CARGO INC was involved in an aviation accident near Baltimore, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the approach lights during an instrument approach. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a night ILS approach, a pilot heard a sound and felt a pitch-up after disengaging autopilot. Landing revealed an approach light caught on gear and damage to multiple components. The operator reported the airplane struck four approach light towers and a localizer antenna.

Incident Details

The pilot was conducting an instrument landing system (ILS) approach under night instrument meteorological conditions. During the approach, the autopilot was engaged until the pilot sighted the runway and airport lighting system. After disengaging the autopilot, as the airplane neared the runway, the pilot heard a sound consistent with a bird strike. The airplane pitched up, prompting the pilot to increase engine power and pitch the nose down to maintain the approach path to the runway.

Post-Landing Inspection

Upon landing and taxiing to the ramp, the pilot observed that a large piece of an approach light was entangled with the airplane's right main landing gear. A subsequent detailed inspection revealed additional damage to the empennage, right horizontal stabilizer, right wing strut, and front cargo pod.

Damage Assessment

The operator reported that the airplane had struck four separate approach light towers as well as a localizer antenna during the approach. The nature and extent of the damage to the airplane and the ground structures were not further specified in the report.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operation