Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blain, Pennsylvania 17006
Saturday, September 3, 1994 1:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A CRUISE DESCENT FROM 9000 TO 7000 FEET AT NIGHT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WHEN, ACCORDING TO RECORDED RADAR DATA, THE ALTITUDE INCREASED 200 FEET AND THEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 7800 FEET. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP DESCENT AND HEARD A LOUD WHINE. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED INFLIGHT AIRFRAME SEPARATION. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1500 FT WITH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS FOUND NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE WRECKAGE PATH, FOLLOWED BY THE FUSELAGE, AND ENDING WITH THE ENGINES AND PROPELLERS. THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED DOWN AND AFT. THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT ENGINE HAD FAILED DOWN AND WAS FOUND 600 FT LEFT OF THE DEBRIS TRAIL. WRINKLES IN TWO DIRECTIONS AND POPPED RIVETS WERE FOUND ON BOTH WINGS. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD REVEALED 0.002 UG/ML OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (MARIJUANA) AND 0.011 UG/ML TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID. A TEST OF HIS URINE SHOWED 0.305 UG/ML OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID. THE PILOT HAD WORKED A FULL-TIME CONSTRUCTION JOB DURING THE DAY, AND HE HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR ABOUT 19 HOURS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO DRUGS, FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO FATIGUE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/3/1994
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 110
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City BLAIN
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 17006
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 9
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 43 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 113
Weather Observation Facility ID CXY
Elevation of weather observation facility 347
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 31
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 7000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
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 Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1901
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 3 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 230
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 12:17PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N502SB
NTSB Number NYC94FA166
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 310R
Aircraft Series Identifier 310R
Aircraft Serial Number 310R0244
Certified Max Gross Weight 5500
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 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 1 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1231
Airframe Hours 10508
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SMITHKLINE BEECHAM BIO LABS
Aircraft Owner Street Address ATLANTIC AVIATION, PHILA ARPT
Aircraft Owner City PHILADELPHIA
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19153
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) Executive/Corporate
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code AGC
Departure City WEST MIFFLIN
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 34
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PTW
Destination City POTTSTOWN
Destination State PA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --