Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Doylestown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18912
Monday, November 21, 1994 20:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ON THE RETURN LEG OF A FLIGHT FOR COMPENSATION. THE EN ROUTE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE NIGHT WEATHER VOR APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT DESCENDED 300 FEET BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE. AFTER FLYING OVER THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT TWICE, BETWEEN 300 AND 500 FEET BELOW THE MINIMUM CIRCLING ALTITUDE. DURING THE THIRD CIRCLE, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. AN AIRPORT 8 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE REPORTED THE WEATHER AS INDEFINITE 100 FOOT SKY OBSCURED, VISIBILITY 1/4 MILE, WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FOG. NEITHER OF THE TWO VOR RECEIVERS IN THE AIRPLANE WERE TUNED TO THE FREQUENCY USED FOR THE VOR FINAL APPROACH COURSE, OR THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE. DURING THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS THE PILOT HAD LOGGED ONE INSTRUMENT APPROACH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's descent below the published minimum circling altitude, and his failure to execute the published missed approach procedure during a night IFR instrument approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/21/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2000 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | DOYLESTOWN |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18912 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DOYLESTOWN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N88 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 50 |
| Airport Elevation | 394 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1955 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NXX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 362 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| 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) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1904 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 21 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 19 2002 9:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2949Q |
| NTSB Number | NYC95FA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| 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-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7790428 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Sep 28 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 56 |
| Airframe Hours | 3997 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ALCOM BUSINESS SYSTEMS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1300 JOHN TIPTON BLVD |
| Aircraft Owner City | PENNSAUKEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 08110 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ELM |
| Departure City | ELMIRA |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1831 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | N88 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 23 |
| Runway Length | 3004 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |