Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cortland Co Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cortland, New York 13045
Friday, June 14, 1996 2:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed the airport in weather described by witnesses as about 100 feet visibility in fog. During the takeoff climb, the airplane turned left prior to the end of the runway, and while in a 30-degree left bank it struck trees north of the airport. Both wings separated from the fuselage and there was a postcrash fire. The left propeller was sheared from the engine by torsional twisting. The right propeller blades had 'S' curves damage. Witnesses reported that the engines sounded smooth. Examination of the airplane did not reveal evidence of mechanical malfunction. The published departure procedure requires a climb on runway heading until reaching 2600 feet. The pilot was changing residence and she was required to vacate her current dwelling on the day of the accident. According to the previous owner, the instrument panel was arranged in a non-T layout. The pilot had received her multi-engine instrument rating in an airplane with a T arrangement on the instrument panel 10 months prior to the accident. The pilot's recent instrument flight experience was not determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot failure to maintain directional control of the airplane which resulted in the airplane striking trees. Contributing factors were the pilot's spatial disorientation, dark night conditions, fog, and the pilot's self induced pressure to reach the destination.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/14/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 240 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CORTLAND |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 13045 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CORTLAND CO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N03 |
| 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 | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 1198 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 241 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | N03 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1198 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| 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) | 29 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1202 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 14 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2189P |
| NTSB Number | NYC96FA126 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-798 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 70 |
| Airframe Hours | 4293 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JENELL L. NEWMARCH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 143 |
| Aircraft Owner City | EAST WINTHROP |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04343 |
| 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 | N03 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 240 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AUG |
| Destination City | AUGUSTA |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| 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 | 6 |
| Runway Length | 3400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |