Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bradford, New York 14815
Thursday, August 13, 1992 16:57 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE RETURNING TO ITHACA, NY., AFTER A BUSINESS TRIP TO INDIANA. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED UNDER VFR CONDITIONS BUT RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE EN ROUTE DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS NEAR HIS DESTINATION. HE WAS AT 5,000 FEET AND BEING VECTORED TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR THE VOR APPROACH TO RWY 14, WHEN HE REPORTED THAT HE 'JUST LOST THE GYROS.' RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND 4 DAYS LATER IN A WOODED AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP REVEALED IT WAS CAPABLE OF NORMAL OPERATION. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON REVEALED THAT DUE TO 'DIRT PACKED IN THE FILTER' AND EVIDENCE THAT THE GYRO WAS 'POORLY MAINTAINED,' IT WAS THE OPINION OF THE QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR FOR MID CONTINENT INSTRUMENT COMPANY THAT THE 'THIS UNIT WAS NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH TO FLY WITH.' THE PILOT'S PERSONAL FLIGHT TIME LOGBOOK WAS NOT RECOVERED, THUS, INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON IN IMC THAT RESULTED IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION OF THE PILOT AND HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN AIRPLANE ORIENTATION. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1657 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | BRADFORD |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14815 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 955 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 844 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 16 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 50002 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N44AE |
| NTSB Number | NYC92FA161 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | PA28R30207 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 5 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 61 |
| Airframe Hours | 4347 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AUTOMATED ENVIRONMENTS INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RD 2 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOCKE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 13092 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AUTOMATED ENVIRONMENTS INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | RD 2 |
| Operator City | LOCKE |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 13092 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FKR |
| Departure City | FRANKFORT |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ELM |
| Destination City | ELMIRA |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |