Sanford Municapal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sanford, Maine 04073
Friday, August 28, 1992 10:05 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON THE SECOND ATTEMPTED ILS APPROACH THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT HAVE THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT BUT, '...CONTINUED AT D.H. [SIC] FOR A FEW MOMENTS...' AND THEN SAW THE RUNWAY. HE SAID THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RUNWAY REMAINING TO LAND AND '...[THE PILOT] WOULD ATTEMPT TO CIRCLE AT DECISION HEIGHT AND RE-INTERCEPT THE GLIDESLOPE. DURING THIS ILL-CONCEIVED MANEUVER I ENCOUNTERED ONE OR MORE PINE TREES...' AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY THE PILOT WAS VECTORED TO AN AIRPORT 24 MINUTES AWAY. THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS ON THE FLIGHT TO THE ALTERNATE AIRPORT AS, '...A CONTROL CONDITION SIMILAR TO AN ENGINE OUT IN A MULTI-ENGINE AIRPLANE.' AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A MEDIAN BETWEEN A RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES WHEN HE DISREGARDED THE DECISION HEIGHT LIMITATION AND FAILED TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE STRIKING TREES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/28/1992
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1005
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City SANFORD
Event State MAINE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 04073
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 SANFORD MUNICAPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SFM
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 244
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1015
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SFM
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 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
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) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
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) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2286
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 28 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1445
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47163
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 N350PM
NTSB Number NYC92LA180
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-46-350
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-46-350
Aircraft Serial Number 4622052
Certified Max Gross Weight 4300
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 14 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 19
Airframe Hours 620
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CLIFFORD F. EVANS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 31 BOLDER HILL RD
Aircraft Owner City LEBANON
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 08833
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name CLIFFORD F. EVANS
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 31 BOLDER HILL RD
Operator City LEBANON
Operator State NJ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 08833
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 N52
Departure City SOMMERSET
Departure State NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 835
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 7
Runway Length 6000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --