Cessna 337 crash claims 5 in NJ

[bluehawk15]

Although it's not an O-2 warbird, I know we have some 337's flying as O-2's, so I thought this might be good to pass along. Could a pull-up put enough G's on the airframe to snap a boom? Corrosion problem? Any thoughts from those who intimately know the O-2/C-337 type? DZ?

Prayers going out for the families and departed.

'WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) ―
Five people, including a teen boy and a young boy, were killed on Feb. 15, 2010, after a Cessna crashed at Monmouth Executive Airport in New Jersey.

The plane, a Cessna 337 Skymaster, may have been trying to land at Monmouth Executive Airport when it broke apart and tore through a field next to a runway.

Hours after the small plane fell from the sky, the fifth and final victim was pulled out of the fuselage, a grisly sight for responders after a horrific sight for those who saw the lives of five come to a tragic end.

"It was almost going to touch down and then it started to pull up again," witness Dana McNally said.

McNally was sledding nearby with her children when she said the small Cessna looked like it was about to land.

"It almost like aborted and started to pull up again and then something broke off the back of it, and it immediately just did a nose dive and went straight down into the ground and it was gone. You couldn't even see it. It was horrible," McNally said.

The tiny craft obliterated upon impact. Pieces of the plane were scattered for about 100 yards. Killed were three men, a teen boy and a young boy. Police believe at least three of the victims were related. Their fate may have been witnessed by loved ones.

"There were family members on the ground," Wall Township Police Capt. Tim Clayton said.

Authorities aren't sure what those family members saw but said its possible the pilot was trying to do a fly-by for them, given what other witnesses saw.

"When he flew by us he had his gear up, his wheels and everything were up, and he was just flying fast, like he was doing a fly-by," witness Barry Kennedy said.

"I noticed there was no landing gear down and he was awfully close to the ground and so then we heard the engine rev thinking, okay he's going to pull out of it and as soon as he pulled up it was an abrupt pull up real fast, and a piece of the plane broke off and he spiraled and went upside down," witness Wayne Matichuk said.

Witnesses said the plane was in the air for only about 15 minutes. The craft is registered to Jack Air in Wilmington, Del. Police said it may have been rented for a tour.

"It may have been sightseeing in New York," Capt. Clayton said.'

[jtramo]

Looks like a buzz job gone wrong.


"There were family members on the ground," Wall Township Police Capt. Tim Clayton said.

Authorities aren't sure what those family members saw but said its possible the pilot was trying to do a fly-by for them, given what other witnesses saw.

"When he flew by us he had his gear up, his wheels and everything were up, and he was just flying fast, like he was doing a fly-by," witness Barry Kennedy said.

"I noticed there was no landing gear down and he was awfully close to the ground and so then we heard the engine rev thinking, okay he's going to pull out of it and as soon as he pulled up it was an abrupt pull up real fast, and a piece of the plane broke off and he spiraled and went upside down," witness Wayne Matichuk said.

[TAdan]

I saw this on the news last night. The news choppers were swarming overhead right after the crash. It seemed like they arrived before the rescue crews did. I thought it was pretty tasteless that they were showing close-ups of the smoldering wreckage before the scene had been secured.

From one eyewitness report and what the news choppers showed there was what looked to be a portion of a wing or the tail on the runway itself with the rest of the wreckage further away.

Last edited by TAdan on Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[bluehawk15]

I've seen some O-2's pull up pretty good at shows, and their tails stayed on. I wonder how many G's the pilot was pulling to cause separation, or were there other factors?

[richkolasa]

I was reading up on the 337 after this accident. I read that 1977 models had corrosion problems after Cessna switched to Imron paint and didn't follow proper metal prep guidelines for the paint. I hope that this wasn't a factor. Hate to see Cessna take another hit in this economy. RIP to those lost in this accident, and thoughts and prayers to their loved ones.

Rich

[jtramo]

I cant find the quote again but I thought I heard a witness state that he clipped the runway or the ground when he pulled up. It was a part of one of the empennage/tail booms lying on the ground so that's possible.

That would be the second deadly wreck in that same area of BLM. A Banner towing Super Cub took off from the banner strip (a few yards from the 337 wreck) and yanked into a bank immediately after rotating and clipped and cartwheeled. Long range banner tanks exploded immediately. To those that fly....be careful please.

[mustanglover]

The part they showed (in the video) on the runway was a wing tip extension and winglet from Aviation Enterprises. It also appeared to be a part of the outer wing section.

I also noticed that there was a three bladed prop in the snow, so this airplane could have either been a Riley Rocket or a highly modified 337 from Aviation Enterprises. However, I don't see where they install 3 bladed props on the Rocket II, but the original Riley Super Skyrocket had three blade propellers.

Linky to Aviation Enterprises - http://www.aviationenterprises.us/

Linky to Rocket II - http://www.therocket2.com/specs.htm

[Bill Greenwood]

When you fly with passengers, especially an infant, you should go overboard to err on the side of safety. The plane may have been at or near full gross weight also. The passengers are not going to appreciate even 3 gs, and a roll while pulling gs make the load worse.

Such a shame.

[richkolasa]

When you fly with passengers, especially an infant, you should go overboard to err on the side of safety. The plane may have been at or near full gross weight also. The passengers are not going to appreciate even 3 gs, and a roll while pulling gs make the load worse.

Such a shame.

Often I'll be circling a friend's place in northwest Jersey and he'll be out with his wife and kids waving. I always keep it in my mind that there's nothing safe I can do in a 172 that will look "cool" from the ground, so a simple wing-rock upon departure is all they get.

It's probably a bit easier to "look cool" in a Spit....yeah, definitely.

Rich

[skymstr02]

Although it's not an O-2 warbird, I know we have some 337's flying as O-2's, so I thought this might be good to pass along. Could a pull-up put enough G's on the airframe to snap a boom? Corrosion problem? Any thoughts from those who intimately know the O-2/C-337 type? DZ?

Without knowing anything at all about the individual airplane, there are abundant possibilities, but this is not the time to speculate on a structural failure. The design has not had a structural problem without external influences, such as a 37mm round thru a portion of the aircraft. With a full bag of gas, the useful load is somewhere around 725 lbs, so depending where the passengers were located, a weight and balance may be a factor.

The airplane was reportedly modified by Owen Bell accessories and also a Riley Rocket installation.

There are also unsubstantiated statements made that the aircraft had impacted the ground with the wheels retracted, and crashed after applying full power to go around. The airplane could be difficult to control if full flaps were deployed, full power applied and the trim set for landing configuration vs take off configuration.

[TimAPNY]

Without knowing anything at all about the individual airplane, there are abundant possibilities, but this is not the time to speculate on a structural failure. The design has not had a structural problem without external influences, such as a 37mm round thru a portion of the aircraft. With a full bag of gas, the useful load is somewhere around 725 lbs, so depending where the passengers were located, a weight and balance may be a factor.

We try not to speculate on warbird accidents and are pretty good at keeping things in hand. I think we should be careful to keep up those same standards in this case also. IN time the facts will be in and a conclusion drawn by those in a position to know. I'd hate to have someone close to the loss of family or friends get the wrong idea bout this community of Aviation nuts.

Tim

[mustangdriver]

Any time we lose a fellow aviation fan, it is a crap day. My heart goes out to the families.

[Nathan]

Sad news. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends!

[Forgotten Field]

I have seen a 337 horizontal attach angle that was completely exfoliated and required replacement. This was on a relatively low-time aircraft. Speaking with another 337 owner at KOSH, I was told this is a known issue, not common, but common enough that it has shown up and is known about in the community.

[bluehawk15]

Thanks for the insight DZ!