Crash location | 40.863611°N, 74.281111°W |
Nearest city | West Caldwell, NJ
40.840933°N, 74.301815°W 1.9 miles away |
Tail number | N979BA |
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Accident date | 21 Jan 2017 |
Aircraft type | Hawker Beechcraft Corp G36 |
Additional details: | None |
On January 21, 2017, about 1245 eastern standard time, a Hawker Beechcraft G36, N979BA, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain after a loss of engine power during initial climb from Essex County Airport (CDW), Caldwell, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an Instrument flight rules plan was filed for the flight, destined for Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, New York. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Review of air traffic control information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the pilot taxied to Runway 22 at CDW. After a delay for inbound traffic and weather, the controller cleared the airplane for takeoff with a left turnout
Review of security camera video and photographs revealed that after taking off, the airplane turned left and continued climbing until it reached an approximate height of 100 feet above ground level, and then began to descend. The airplane then struck the roof of a warehouse with the left wing, impacted terrain in a nose low attitude while rotating to the left, then made contact with the ground with the belly of the airplane, and a large fire erupted.
The accident site was located approximately 0.5 miles from the departure end of Runway 22. Examination of the accident site and wreckage revealed that the landing gear was down, the three bladed propeller separated from the engine during the impact sequence, and the majority of the airplane's cabin had been consumed by fire.
According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 16, 2016. He reported on that date, that he had accrued 1,430 total hours of flight experience.
According to FAA and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2012. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on January 16, 2017. At the time of the inspection, the airplane had accrued 251.9 total hours of operation.
The wreckage was retained for further examination