Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania 18240
Tuesady, December 13, 1994 18:14 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AT NIGHT OVER A MOUTAINOUS AREA. DURING FLIGHT, HE CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES. ATC ADVISED HIM TO MAINTAIN 5500' MSL, AND HE CLIMBED TO THAT ALTITUDE. DURING A FREQUENCY CHANGE (FROM WILKES BARRE APPROACH CONTROL TO ALLENTOWN APPROACH CONTROL) RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST. THE CONTROLLER TRIED SEVERAL TIME TO RE-ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TREES ON TOP OF BROAD MOUNTAIN AND WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND FIRE. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 600' AREA. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INDICATED MARGINAL VFR WEATHER AND FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH AT ALLENTOWN, A SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION AT 1822 EST REPORTED SNOW SHOWERS WITH 1 1/2 MILES VISIBILITY IN FOG. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the non-instrument-rated pilot's poor in-flight decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, at night, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to ensure clearance from obstructions/terrain. Related factors were the instrument meteorological flight conditions (low ceiling and fog), the dark night, and the pilot's lack of total instrument flight experience.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/13/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1814 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NESQUEHONING |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 18240 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 1822 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 394 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | Moderate |
| 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) | 304 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 13 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 | Dec 6 2000 12:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N33049 |
| NTSB Number | BFO95FA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7535112 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 14 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GIBSON AIR ACADEMY INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 221 CRANBERRY RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | FARMINGDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07727 |
| 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 | BFD |
| Departure City | BRADFORD |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1704 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BLM |
| Destination City | ALLAIRE |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |