Mid State Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Philipsburg, Pennsylvania 16866
Saturday, January 2, 1993 15:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A TOUCH AND GO AT MID STATE AIRPORT, UPON TOUCH DOWN AND LOWERING OF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE ON RUNWAY 24, THE STUDENT PILOT AND CFI NOTICED A SNOW BANK ACROSS THE RUNWAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAY 16/34. THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO TAKEOFF IMMEDIATELY. THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL TAKEOFF POWER, AND JUST AFTER LIFT OFF THEY HEARD A 'THUMP'. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN GEAR IMPACTED THE SNOW BANK AND WAS TORN AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT WING AND FLAP. THE STUDENT AND CFI CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND RETURNED TO THEIR BASE AIRPORT WHERE A FLY BY WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY GROUND PERSONNEL. THE CFI MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND THE AIRPLANE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE CFI STATED THAT THEY DID FLY OVER MID STATE AIRPORT PRIOR TO LANDING AND THAT THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING ON THE RUNWAY. THE MANAGER OF MID STATE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE PERSON WHO SNOW PLOWED RUNWAY 16/34 WAS NEW TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE OTHER RUNWAY WAS IN USE, HENCE, DID NOT REMOVE THE PLOWED SNOW FROM THE INTERSECTING RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO NOTICES TO AIRMEN PUBLISHED CONCERNING A CLOSURE OF RUNWAY 24.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE INADEQUATE REMOVAL OF SNOW FROM THE RUNWAYS BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND THE PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES FOR AIRPORT SNOW REMOVAL NOT UNDERSTOOD.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/2/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PHILIPSBURG
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 16866
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MID STATE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PSB
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 1948
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1556 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID UNV
Elevation of weather observation facility 1504
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 22
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 2 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48180
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:06PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N15141
NTSB Number BFO93LA017
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7305027
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 Nov 20 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 68
Airframe Hours 1880
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LAWRENCE S. LEVINSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 150
Aircraft Owner City WARRIORS MARK
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 16877
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name LAWRENCE S. LEVINSON
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code N96
Destination City BELLEFONTE
Destination State PA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 24
Runway Length 5006
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --