Cessna 441 accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1986
On November 30, 1986 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 441, registered N117EA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania (Erie Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 1986 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Pennsylvania · Erie Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 441 · all 441s on the register
- Registration
- N117EA · registry record · serial 441-0191
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
REASON FOR THE CESSNA TO VEER IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AND COLLIDE WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IS UNDETERMINED. EXAMINATION OF THE START LOCK ASSEMBLIES COULD NOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE. THE ACFT WAS BEING PREPARED FOR A FLT. DURING A MANUAL SPEED GOVERNOR CHECK ON THE LEFT ENG THE ACFT VEERED IN A SEMI-CIRCLE. AN ATTEMPT TO EXAMINE THE ACFT START LOCKS WAS NEGATED BY THE FIRE DAMAGE FROM THE COLLISION.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 1,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1986; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,800 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-8401S (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC87LA041.