ASN Aircraft accident Swearingen SA-226AT Merlin IV N54GP Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, NH (MHT)
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Status:Information verified through authorities or other official sources.
Date:Friday 10 December 2021
Time:23:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic SW4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Swearingen SA-226AT Merlin IV
Operator:Castle Aviation
Registration: N54GP
MSN: AT-034
First flight: 1975
Crew:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:0,6 km (0.4 mls) SW of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, NH (MHT) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Cargo
Departure airport:Caldwell Wright Airport, NJ (CDW/KCDW), United States of America
Destination airport:Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, NH (MHT/KMHT), United States of America
Flightnumber:CSJ921
Narrative:
Castle Aviation flight CSJ921, a Swearingen SA-226AT Merlin IV, N54GP, was destroyed when it crashed into the bank of the Merimack River, about 600 m short of the threshold of runway 6 at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, NH (MHT), New Hampshire, USA. The sole pilot onboard was fatally injured.
The airplane was on the ILS approach to runway 6 at Manchester Boston Regional Airport in darkness. During the approach, the pilot reported an engine failure at 23:30:42 but did not specify which engine. The aircraft crashed nine seconds later.

Examination of the propellers showed that the propeller blades from the no.1 (left) engine did not exhibit rotational damage. The right propeller blades appeared to be at or near the feathered position.
This might indicate that both engines had failed, or that the wrong prop was being feathered.

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation ongoing
Accident number: ERA22FA086
Download report: Preliminary report

Sources:
» wmur.com
» Flightaware Flight track
» ADSBexchange flight track

METAR Weather report:
04:21 UTC / 23:21 local time:
SPECI KMHT 110421Z 00000KT 10SM BKN017 OVC075 M02/M05 A3016
time 0421Z, wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, broken 1,700, overcast 7,500


Photos

photo of Swearingen-SA-226AT-Merlin-IV-N54GP
accident date: 10-12-2021
type: Swearingen SA-226AT Merlin IV
registration: N54GP
 

Video, social media

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line is connecting ADS-B datapoints from AX.
Distance from Caldwell Wright Airport, NJ to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, NH as the crow flies is 326 km (204 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Merlin IV

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  • 22nd loss
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 United States of America
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