Preliminary Report: Caravan fails to climb

Cessna Caravan 208B Portland, Ore., Dec. 24, 2005–Making an intersection takeoff from Runway 21 at Portland International Airport, the FedEx Caravan failed to gain altitude, hit a glideslope antenna and crashed. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The cargo flight was operated by Empire Airline of Hayden, Idaho, and was on an IFR flight plan to Roseburg, Ore. The Caravan sustained substantial damage. The NTSB preliminary report said weather was VMC and the temperature at the time of the accident was 8 degrees C. It had not been below freezing the night before.