Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania 16648
Saturday, April 13, 1991 13:30 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING AN INSTRUMENT CLIMB THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPORT DURING LOW CEILINGS WITH LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOUDS EXISTED DURING THE CLIMB. RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, AND TURBULENCE WITHIN THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEEN FORECAST. PILOT REPORTS EAST OF THE FLIGHT PATH HAD INCLUDED LIGHT ICING FROM THE SURFACE TO FIVE THOUSAND. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO SIX THOUSAND. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK CENTER WITH AN ALTITUDE READOUT OF 4500 FT . THE PILOT NEVER ESTABLISHED CONTACT. CLEVELAND CENTER LOST RDAR CONTACT AT 5300 FT AT APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES, CABLES, AND TERRAIN. BASED ON THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY UNTIL IMPACT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS 1,176 FEET LONG.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/13/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HOLLIDAYSBURG
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 16648
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 4
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1353 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID AOO
Elevation of weather observation facility 1504
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 900
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1794
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45672
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 9:46AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8073Y
NTSB Number NYC91FA112
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR/IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-30
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-30
Aircraft Serial Number 30-1187
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FRANK W. MARINO
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1105 LYNWOOD CT
Aircraft Owner City CLEARFIELD
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 16830
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FRANCES MCCULLY
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address BOX 186
Operator City RAMEY
Operator State PA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 16880
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 AOO
Departure City ALTOONA
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1719
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code N97
Destination City CLEARFIELD
Destination State PA
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 --