Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Norwood Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Norwood, Massachusetts 02062
Monday, February 21, 1994 17:50 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHTCREW WAS ADVISED PRIOR TO INITIATING THE APPROACH THAT VISIBILITY AT THE AIRPORT HAD DECREASED TO 1/8 MI WITH LIGHT RAIN, FOG AND OBSCURATION. PUBLISHED LANDING VISIBILITY MINIMUMS FOR THE APPROACH WAS 1 MI. THE 150-FT WIDE RUNWAY HAD BEEN PLOWED 100 FT WIDE, AND THERE WERE SNOWBANKS UP TO 3 FT HIGH ON BOTH SIDES. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE UNPLOWED PORTION OF THE RUNWAY ONTO A SNOWBANK, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR. THE FLIGHTCREW STATED THAT THE APPROACH LIGHTS AND RUNWAY WERE IN SIGHT DURING THE ENTIRE APPROACH, AND THAT THE SECOND PILOT TOLD THE PIC THAT HE WAS TOO FAR LEFT AND NEEDED TO CORRECT TO THE RIGHT AS THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN. THE TOWER CONTROLLER STATED THAT HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT LANDED DUE TO FOG.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY, AND HIS FAILURE TO EXECUTE A MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO INITIATE THE APPROACH IN BELOW-MINIMUM WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE SNOW COVERED RUNWAY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/21/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1750 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NORWOOD |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02062 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NORWOOD MEMORIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OWD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 50 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1750 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OWD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 50 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1455 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 21 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1750 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N777JM |
| NTSB Number | BFO94LA045 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31T |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31T-7820064 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9050 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 19 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 5466 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EASTERN AIR CHARTER, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 209 ACCESS ROAD, NORWOOD AIRP. |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02062 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | EASTERN AIR CHARTER, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 209 ACCESS ROAD, NORWOOD AIRP. |
| Operator City | NORWOOD |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 02062 |
| Operator Code | FRKA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BGR |
| Departure City | BANGOR |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | OWD |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 4007 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |