Pittsfield Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201
Saturday, July 24, 1993 9:53 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

BOTH THE PA-28, N9044J, AND THE PA-38, N91357, WERE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RWY 26 WHEN THEY COLLIDED ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, AND ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THEY REPORTED THEIR POSITION ON UNICOM. HOWEVER, SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO WERE MONITORING THE RADIO STATED THEY ONLY HEARD THE PILOT OF THE PA-38 REPORT HER POSITION. THE RADIOS OF THE PA-28, N9044J, WERE FOUND TUNED TO THE UNICOM FREQUENCY OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF THE PA-28, N9044J, TO PROPERLY TUNE HIS RADIOS, AND HIS FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE PA-38, N91357.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/24/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 953
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City PITTSFIELD
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01201
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport PITTSFIELD MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PSF
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 1194
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 950 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID ALB
Elevation of weather observation facility 1
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 9000
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) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
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) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1139
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 24 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1040
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N9044J N91357
NTSB Number BFO93LA136A BFO93LA136B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Substantial Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180 PA-38-112
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180 PA-38-112
Aircraft Serial Number 28-3075 38-82A0012
Certified Max Gross Weight 2175 1670
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4 2
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name TAMARACK FLYING CLUB INC. EAST COAST AERO CLUB INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address PITTSFIELD AIRPORT 5 HIGHRIDGE RD.
Aircraft Owner City PITTSFIELD SOUTHBORO
Aircraft Owner State MA MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01201 01772
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name TAMARACK FLYING CLUB INC. EAST COAST AERO CLUB INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No No
Operator Street Address PITTSFIELD AIRPORT 5 HIGHRIDGE RD.
Operator City PITTSFIELD SOUTHBORO
Operator State MA MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 01201 01772
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown 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 Personal
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code GBR BED
Departure City GR BARRINGTON BEDFORD
Departure State MA MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 930 840
Departure Time Zone EDT EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach Approach
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26 26
Runway Length 5000 5000
Runway Width 100 100
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --