Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chatham Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chatham, Massachusetts 02633
Thursday, July 21, 1994 10:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRPLANE OUT OF THE PARKING RAMP ONTO THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY, AND TAXIED TO THE RUNUP AREA IN PREPARATION FOR TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS POSITIONED ON THE RUNWAY, AND THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS INITIATED. THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RUNWAY COULD NOT BE SEEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL, DUE TO A 'HUMP' NEAR THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE PILOT OBSERVED BIRDS RISING FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE BIRDS AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE GLIDED PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY, TOUCHED DOWN ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE, AND COLLIDED WITH A CHAIN LINKED FENCE. BIRDS WERE KNOWN TO FLOCK TO THIS AIRPORT, AND THE AIRPORT HAD PUBLICIZED THAT BIRDS ARE IN THE VICINITY OF THE RUNWAY IN SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS. THE AREA THAT THE BIRDS FLOCK TO, AND BOTH ENDS OF THE RUNWAY, ARE VISIBLE WHEN TAXIING OUT OF THE PARKING RAMP. A WITNESS WAS ABLE TO OBSERVED THE BIRDS ON THE RUNWAY FROM THE PARKING RAMP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE BIRDS. THE PRESENCE OF THE BIRDS AT THE AIRPORT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CHATHAM |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02633 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CHATHAM |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CQX |
| 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 | 68 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1045 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 285 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HYA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 55 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| 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) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 700 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1250 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:46AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N76090 |
| NTSB Number | NYC94LA132 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17268120 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Feb 26 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 4558 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SARATOGA FLYING CLUB |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | AIRPORT ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | BALLSTON SPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 12020 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BDL |
| Destination City | WINDSOR LOCKS |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |