Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Frankford Twnsp, New Jersey 07826
Saturday, September 7, 1996 19:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot elected to conduct a night VFR flight in weather conditions described by witnesses as 1000 to 1500 foot ceiling and less than one mile visibility with fog. The airplane was reported missing that same night, and it was located 2 days later, about 5 miles west of the departure point. An examination of the crash site revealed the aircraft struck the ground in a steep nose down attitude. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction. An updated weather advisory (AIRMET) had been issued for the area, which included a forecast for instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). There was no record that a weather briefing was obtained by the pilot. The pilot had logged 85 hours of instrument time, of which, 9 hours were logged as actual instrument time. The most recent actual instrument experience that he logged was during an instrument competency check, which was completed in August 1995. His most recent night experience was 0.7 hours, which was logged in August 1993. He had logged no actual instrument night experience.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation by not obtaining a preflight weather briefing, his VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain control of the aircraft after becoming spatial disoriented. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, and the pilot's lack of recent experience in the type of operation (night and actual instrument flight conditions).
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/7/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1950 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | FRANKFORD TWNSP |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07826 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1711 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 9 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:22AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N422FL |
| NTSB Number | NYC96FA182 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7125202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 4568 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JUDITH CLARKSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 238 SPRING ST. APT. 132 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEWTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07860 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT S. GOLABEK |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 40 MORAN ST. APT. 332 |
| Operator City | NEWTON |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 07860 |
| 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 | N63 |
| Departure City | SUSSEX |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| 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 | -- |