CESSNA 425 CONQUEST I, SAN JOSE, CALIF., MARCH 6, 2002–The NTSB concluded that the in-flight breakup of Conquest N444JV was caused “by the pilot’s loss of control, which resulted in exceeding of the design stress limits of the aircraft, leading to an in-flight structural failure.” The loss of control was blamed on the loss of primary airspeed reference resulting from pitot tube icing, caused by the internal failure of the pitot heat switch. Additional factors were the pilot’s distraction caused by the airspeed reading anomaly and spatial disorientation.
The airplane crashed six minutes after departing Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose on an IFR flight plan. It was climbing at about 2,000 fpm through 6,700 feet when it began a series of heading and altitude changes inconsistent with its ATC clearance. The airplane turned right and climbed to 8,600 feet, then turned left and descended to 8,000 feet. It turned right and climbed to 8,500 feet, and began a rapidly descending right turn. As the aircraft was descending through 7,000 feet, the pilot advised ATC, “Four Juliet Victor, I just lost my needle give me…” No further transmissions were received and the last radar return showed the airplane descending through 3,200 feet at about 11,000 fpm. The airplane was close to Vmo (230 knots) at the last mode-C return.
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