Cessna 402C accident near Watertown, New York, February 1, 2010
On February 1, 2010 at about 8:12 pm local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N121PB, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Watertown, New York (Watertown International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue the approach with a known anomaly with the left airspeed indicator. Contributing to the accident was an undetermined malfunction of the left airspeed indicator and the condition of the runway, resulting in decreased braking capability.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2010 · about 8:12 pm local time
- Place
- Watertown, New York · Watertown International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N121PB · no longer on the register · serial 402C0507
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the scheduled passenger flight was conducting a visual approach to runway 25 at the destination airport in marginal visual meteorological conditions. As the airplane descended to the traffic pattern, the pilot noticed the airspeed decrease from 145 knots to 85 knots. The pilot applied full power but did not observe an increase in airspeed. He elected to continue the approach and, due to weather conditions, joined the traffic pattern for runway 7. It is likely that the pilot felt pressure to complete the flight due to the deteriorating weather conditions, rather than taking time to identify and correct the anomaly or to attempt to cross-reference with other instruments. When the pilot deployed the wing flaps and extended the landing gear, he noted that the airplane felt as though it was traveling faster than its indicated airspeed. The airplane touched down approximately 1,000 feet past the runway threshold and bounced. The pilot attempted to apply brakes, but reported that the braking action was "nil" due to runway contamination. The airplane continued down the runway, departed the paved surface, and came to rest 366 feet past the runway’s end. Postaccident testing revealed that the pitot tubes were warm to the touch when the pitot heat switch was turned on. Unregulated air pressure was applied to the right pitot tube and to the left pitot line downstream of the tube. The corresponding airspeed indicators displayed needle movement with no leaks detected. Since no further examination of the pitot-static system was conducted, the cause of the airspeed anomaly could not be determined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Indep instrument (clock, etc) › Malfunction
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,227 hours in all; 1,374 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 27, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 27,611 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 23, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 6,850 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hyannis Air Leasing INC
The flight
- Departed from: ALB Albany NY at 6:58 pm
- Destination: ART Watertown NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 07, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 8:12 pm from ART
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N121PB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.