Worcester Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Leicester, Massachusetts 01524
Monday, October 19, 1992 18:30 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 11, AT NIGHT. THE REPORTED VISIBILITY WAS 8 MILES WITH LIGHT RAIN. HE DROPPED BELOW THE GLIDE PATH AND STRUCK AN APPROACH LIGHT TOWER ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN AT NIGHT IN ABOUT 90 DAYS. ALSO, HE HAD ONLY FLOWN ABOUT 4 TIMES IN THIS PERIOD. EXAMINATION REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE ENGINES, AND THE ILS WAS FLIGHT TESTED SATISFACTORILY. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE 'ON A GRADUAL DECLINE...HIT THE POLE.'

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER GLIDE PATH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCED.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/19/1992
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1830
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LEICESTER
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01524
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WORCESTER MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ORH
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 1008
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1830 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 290
Weather Observation Facility ID ORH
Elevation of weather observation facility 1008
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 3900
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 900
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2847
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 19 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1715
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47643
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:23PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1ZB
NTSB Number NYC93FA026
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model 55
Aircraft Series Identifier 55
Aircraft Serial Number TC-1943
Certified Max Gross Weight 4880
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name POWELL AIRCRAFT LEASING INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8000 CESSNA AVE.
Aircraft Owner City GAITHERSBURG
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20879
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROBERT L. POWELL
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 21511 DAVIS MILL RD.
Operator City GERMANTOWN
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 20876
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 GAI
Departure City GAITHERSBURG
Departure State MD
Departure Country
Departure Time 1622
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ORH
Destination City WORCESTER
Destination State MA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 11
Runway Length 6999
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --