Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
North Dansville, New York 14437
Friday, May 16, 1997 7:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot received a partial weather briefing before departure. Forecast for the destination airport was, in part: 900 ft scattered, 1,500 ft overcast, visibility greater than 6 mi, with occasional visibility of 5 mi, ceiling 900 ft broken, and 1,500 ft overcast. Elevation of the destination airport was 560 ft. The pilot departed without filing a flight plan. Radar data revealed that a radar target appeared 1 mile north of the departure airport, heading north. The radar target climbed to 2,400 feet, and then started a descent. The radar target disappeared about 1 mile south of the accident site at 2,100 feet, while heading north and descending. Subsequently, the airplane struck trees near the top of a hill at an elevation of about 1650 feet, while on a northerly heading. Witnesses in the area reported low clouds, fog, and rain. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. The blades of both propellers contained chordwise scratches and twisting or curling.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's improper decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from rising/wooded terrain. The adverse weather conditions and rising wooded terrain were related factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/16/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 705 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | NORTH DANSVILLE |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14437 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1297 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 16 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 815 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1ZP |
| NTSB Number | NYC97FA092 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | T337G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | T337G |
| Aircraft Serial Number | P3370272 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4700 |
| 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 | Sep 9 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 2152 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERT A. HARDER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 430 CANISTEO |
| Aircraft Owner City | HORNELL |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14843 |
| 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 | 3G6 |
| Departure City | HORNELL |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 655 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ROC |
| Destination City | ROCHESTER |
| Destination State | NY |
| 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 | -- |