Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stiefler Corner, Pennsylvania 18656
Monday, April 12, 1999 11:10 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departed the pilot was distracted, and forgot to initialize his GPS. The GPS was initialized during climb out causing the pilot to doubt its accuracy. While operating over a valley between partially obscured mountains, the airplane encountered turbulence. Weather at the time was 3,000 feet overcast with no restrictions to visibility. With the airplane less then 500 feet from the base of the clouds, the pilot focused his attention inside the cockpit to tune radio's and confirm his positions using a map. During this period, the pilot let the airplane climb into the overcast. 'I was not paying attention and I was close to the base of the clouds.' The airplane entered the clouds and the severity of the turbulence increased. The pilot initiated a climb, and started a left turn to proceed back to the south to regain VMC, but during the turn, and approximately 3,200 feet msl, the airplane struck a pine tree about 6 feet below its top. The pilot continued the climbing left turn, set the transponder to 7700, and transmitted a 'May Day.' About 5 minutes later, the pilot regained VMC, and landed the airplane at without further incident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot diverting his attention inside the cockpit, and allowing the airplane to enter instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in an in-flight collision with a tree.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/12/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1110 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | STIEFLER CORNER |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18656 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 132 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 704 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 57 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 476 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 14 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 745 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8764J |
| NTSB Number | NYC99LA089 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | American |
| Aircraft Model | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AA-5 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AA5-0116 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 2 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 16 |
| Airframe Hours | 2200 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EDWARD P. STEUBER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3049 LATTIN RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALBION |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14411 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SHD |
| Departure City | SHENANDOAH |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OYM |
| Destination City | ST MARYS |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |