Wiggins 1046, B99 N53RP down outside of KMHT 1/26/24

[scottd]

I can't tell if there is ice accumulation on the ground in the photo, or if it's sorta melted snow. The ice on the hatch window sure looks like it was accreted in flight.

Don't know how long after the accident this picture of the door was taken. Given that the temps at the surface where this occurred were above 0°C, it's unlikely that ice accumulated on the door after it reached the surface. The snow around the door has a classic glaze on top indicative of rain falling on snow cover.

 

[DavidWhite]

It's very likely that the ice on the door was accreted after the door had reached the surface...but in freezing rain, it can cover just about all surfaces of the aircraft. The pic below was taken shortly after landing and some of the ice had already fallen off.

View attachment 124962

 

[Flying Keys]

Yes, that is the case, however, there was a layer from 1000 ft to 5000 ft where freezing rain was occurring. The pilot did not climb above 5,100 ft. So most of the flight was in this freezing rain layer.

That was my initial presumption and remains so. The question regarding the photo has become whether the ice we’re seeing on the door is a result of that initial encounter or if it was from freezing precip on the ground later, or perhaps both.

I’m not sure what we can glean from either case at this point other than to perhaps surmise whether the loss of the door had anything to do with initial icing conditions or whether lingering up there in the ice in an attempt to return, sans door and all the compounding issues that would cause in the cockpit, was a causal factor in the eventual downing of the aircraft. Or perhaps the departing door struck the empennage and caused downstream mechanical and/or control issues.

No matter what, it’s not a place I’d want to lose a door. It’s just about a worst-case scenario and I’m glad the pilot made it out alive.

Either way, we’ll get the real info soon enough and I imagine the preliminary report will be fairly revealing.

 

[SFDukie]

Anyone see any news as to how the pilot is doing?
Injuries were described as “critical”
Hope he’s ok and discharged.

 

[Old Crow]

Pilot is in stable condition.

Pilot in cargo plane crash listed in stable condition

The pilot of a twin-engine cargo plane that crashed last week in Londonderry is in stable condition at a Boston hospital, according to family.

www.unionleader.com

 

[Groundpounder]

Sounds like he left the access ladder on the outside of the airplane as well. It clips on just below the crew door and must be removed by the pilot after they board.

 

[Flying Keys]

Sounds like he left the access ladder on the outside of the airplane as well. It clips on just below the crew door and must be removed by the pilot after they board.

NTSB prelim is out (PDF)

Weird, the ASN wikibase article for that accident can’t currently be accessed, but others can. Anybody else getting a blank page?