Incident Overview

Date: Monday 12 February 1979
Aircraft Type: Mohawk 298 (Nord 262)
Owner/operator: Allegheny Airlines
Registration Number: N29824
Location: Clarksburg-Benedum Airport, WV (CKB) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 25
Component Affected: Aircraft wing and empennage surfacesAircraft wing and empennage surfaces
Investigating Agency: NTSBNTSB
Category: Accident
Allegheny Flight 561 experienced a significant incident due to snow on the aircraft’s wing and empennage surfaces, leading to a loss of lateral control and lift during ascent. The pilot?s decision to operate with snow resulted in a roll, which ultimately led to a crash-inverted landing.Allegheny Flight 561 experienced a significant incident due to snow on the aircraft’s wing and empennage surfaces, leading to a loss of lateral control and lift during ascent. The pilot?s decision to operate with snow resulted in a roll, which ultimately led to a crash-inverted landing.

Description

At 11:16 Allegheny Flight 561 departed Clarksburg for a flight to Morgantown, WV but the pilot decided not to make an approach at Morgantown because the ILS glide slope was out of service, and the visibility was 1/2 mile. The flight returned to Clarksburg and landed at 11:46. The aircraft was refueled and prepared for a rescheduled flight 561 to Washington-National Airport. The Nord 262 was de-iced between 12:20 and 12:35. When the crew taxied out at about 12:57 there was again some wet snow on all its horizontal surfaces. Shortly after lift-off from runway 21 the aircraft rolled 45deg to the right, 45deg to the left and back to the right again until the wing struck the ground. The aircraft crashed and came to rest inverted. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The captain’s decision to take off with snow on the aircraft’s wing and empennage surfaces which resulted in a loss of lateral control and a loss of lift as the aircraft ascended out of ground effect.”

Primary Cause

The captain?s decision to take off with snow on the aircraft?s wing and empennage surfaces which resulted in a loss of lateral control and a loss of lift as the aircraft ascended out of ground effect.The captain?s decision to take off with snow on the aircraft?s wing and empennage surfaces which resulted in a loss of lateral control and a loss of lift as the aircraft ascended out of ground effect.

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