Cessna 208 accident near Washington, District of Columbia, April 24, 1996
On April 24, 1996 at about 1:41 am local time, a Cessna 208, registered N776FE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Washington, District of Columbia (Washington Dulles Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft while taxiing for takeoff. Related factors were the wet runway and the gusty crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1996 · about 1:41 am local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia · Washington Dulles Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N776FE · no longer on the register · serial 208B0273
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after being cleared by the tower to taxi into position and hold on runway 30, the aircraft began to skid on the threshold markings. The right wing raised up and the airplane came to rest on the left wing and propeller. The winds were reported to be out of 300 degrees at 17 knots, with gusts to 30 knots. The airplane continued to skid off the runway onto the overrun. The pilot stated that he felt like he had taken every precaution and that the accident was a result of the gear sliding on the painted surface of the threshold which was slick in spots from an earlier rain storm.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,241 hours in all; 2,840 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 5,120 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,869 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 1, 1996; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Air Cargo INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IAD
- Destination: RIC Richmond VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 10,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from IAD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.