Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
University Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lemont, Pennsylvania 16801
Tuesady, February 23, 1993 20:16 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS EN ROUTE TO PICK UP CARGO. HE RECEIVED THREE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFINGS EARLIER THAT INDICATED SNOW, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, AND LOW VISIBILITY. HE REPORTED, 'SEEING THE LIGHTS OF UNIVERSITY,' AND REQUESTED A CONTACT APPROACH. HE ALSO SAID THAT IF HE COULD NOT GET IN, HE WOULD MAKE AN ILS APPROACH. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS 4 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, THE NEW YORK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT FOR A CONTACT APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING A LOW FLYING AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY AND HE SAW THE TAIL LIGHT OF AN AIRPLANE BRIEFLY THROUGH THE SNOW. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT A SNOW SQUALL WAS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, HE HEARD WHAT WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE THE SOUND OF THE COLLISION. SEARCH PERSONNEL LOCATED THE WRECKAGE 3.3 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT ON TOP OF MOUNT NITTANY WHICH WAS ABOUT 2000 FEET HIGH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING THE APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIGH TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/23/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2016 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LEMONT |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16801 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | UNIVERSITY PARK |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1955 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UNV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1239 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| 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) | 336 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 23 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2127 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 52246 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N47E |
| NTSB Number | BFO93FA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | E18S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | E18S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | BA-183 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10100 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 22 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 85 |
| Airframe Hours | 12910 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CENTRE AIRLINES, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 245 |
| Aircraft Owner City | REEDSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 17084 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CENTRE AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 245 |
| Operator City | REEDSVILLE |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 17084 |
| Operator Code | AGYA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RVL |
| Departure City | REEDSVILLE |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | UNV |
| Destination City | UNIVERSITY PARK |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | -- |