Investigation Summary
The accident originated from a failure of the left propeller's cruise pitch lock, a mechanism designed to maintain a specific blade angle during cruise flight. As the aircraft reached 8.5 miles from the airport, the crew discovered the lock was 'hung up,' preventing the propeller from moving toward a fine pitch for landing. This left the aircraft with excessive thrust on the left side. The crew attempted an emergency feathering procedure to stop the propeller and eliminate the thrust, but while the engine was successfully shut down, the propeller blades did not move to the feathered position. Instead, the propeller remained in a high-drag windmilling state. The investigation by the NTSB highlighted a significant breakdown in Cockpit Resource Management (CRM). The captain became entirely preoccupied with the propeller malfunction and failed to delegate flying or monitoring duties to the first officer. Consequently, the first officer did not perform required altitude callouts. The aircraft descended through challenging weather conditions, reported as an indefinite ceiling with 1,200 feet obscured and 2 miles visibility in light snow, until it struck a house at 50 Edgewood Avenue. Despite extensive testing, the NTSB could not replicate the pitch lock failure nor determine why the feathering system failed to engage.
Final Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board issued its final report (NTSB-AAR-73-08) on April 11, 1973. The board determined the probable cause was the crew's inability to feather the left propeller in combination with the descent of the aircraft below prescribed minimum altitudes. The investigation cited the captain's preoccupation with the mechanical failure and the first officer's failure to adhere to altitude awareness procedures as primary contributing factors. The board also noted a lack of effective task sharing and insufficient guidance in aircraft manuals regarding the 'Cruise Pitch Lock Stuck' condition.
Video Analysis
Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 Aftermath Footage | 3 March 1972 — Historical news footage showing the wreckage of the Fairchild FH-227B embedded in a residential home in Albany, NY, following the crash of Flight 405.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Fatality
First Officer
Fatality
Systems & Failure Modes
Cruise Pitch Lock
A mechanical safety lock that prevents the propeller blades from moving into a low-pitch (high RPM) range during cruise, which could cause an overspeed.
Propeller Feathering System
A system designed to turn propeller blades parallel to the airflow to minimize drag in the event of an engine failure.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft crashed into a densely populated neighborhood, but no fire erupted despite significant fuel leakage due to the 13°F temperature.
- 02One occupant of the house, a graduate student in a shower, was killed; five other residents survived.
- 03The NTSB was unable to replicate the cruise pitch lock malfunction during post-accident testing.
- 04The aircraft was approximately 900 feet below its intended glide path at the time of impact.
- 05The right wing separated from the fuselage but remained intact, preventing a massive fire.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Flight Crew Coordination
Reinforcement of procedures to ensure one crew member always flies the aircraft while the other handles emergencies and altitude callouts.
Equipment Upgrades
Recommendation that shoulder harnesses be provided to and worn by all flight crew members.
Cabin Safety
Recommendation for improved G-force tolerance in flight attendant seat designs.
Emergency Lighting
Recommendation that emergency lighting switches be armed prior to every flight to ensure illumination during post-crash evacuations.