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NYC90FA061

1990-01-29 · WILLISTON, Vermont, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BTV

Current FAA registration · N4688B

Make / Model
CESSNA 180
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560223
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A5BAC5

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DE-ICE THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, AND HIS DECISION TO MAKE THE TAKEOFF AT A WEIGHT THAT EXCEEDED BOTH THE MAXIMUM STRUCTURAL TAKEOFF WEIGHT AND THE REDUCED TAKEOFF WEIGHT ALLOWED FOR ICING CONDITIONS RESULTING IN AN INADEVERTENT STALL.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT FAILED TO DEICE THE WINGS PRIOR TO THE TAKEOFF AND OVERLOADED THE AIRPLANE BY 360 LBS STRUCTURALLY AND 1100 LBS FOR FLIGHT IN ICING CONDITIONS. THERE WAS MODERATE SNOW FALLING AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF. THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS DESCRIBED AS LONG AND A WITNESS SAW THE WINGS ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES ONE MILE OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, CRASHED AND BURNED. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION FOUND SNOW CONTAMINATION ON THE TOP OF ONE WING THAT DID NOT BURN AND THE TOP OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC90FA061.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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