3 fatal · Cessna 425 · 2002-03-06 · San Jose, CA, USA
Event
NTSB number
LAX02FA101
Event ID
20020308X00324
Type
Accident
Date
2002-03-06
Location
San Jose, CA, USA
Coordinates
37.18111, -121.746948
Injuries
Highest injury
FATL
Fatal
3
Serious
0
Minor
0
Uninjured
0
Total aboard
3
Aircraft
Make
Cessna
Model
425
Registration
N444JV
FAR Part
091
Engines
2
Damage
DEST
Conditions
Light
DAYL
Weather
IMC
Probable cause
the pilot's loss of control and resulting exceedence of the design stress limits of the aircraft, which led to an in-flight structural failure. The pilot's loss of control was due in part to the loss of primary airspeed reference resulting from pitot tube icing, which was caused by the internal failure of the pitot heat switch. Factors in the accident were the pilot's distraction caused by the airspeed reading anomaly and spatial disorientation.