Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dorrance, Pennsylvania 18707
Friday, August 6, 1999 11:46 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot performed an approach to an approximately 1,700 foot long airstrip he constructed on a 30-degree up-slope, heading northwest. The airplane touched down long, and the pilot aborted the landing. As the airplane climbed, the pilot had just began to retract the wing flaps, when a gust of wind made the airplane start to sink. The main landing gear then struck a guy wire that spanned about 45 feet above the ground. The guy wire, which remained caught with the landing gear and attached to two telephone poles that also held power-lines, slowed the airplane, nosing it over. After the accident, the pilot stated that the airplane was running fine, and several attempts to have the power lines moved away from the airstrip were made, but received resistance from nearby neighbors.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude, and his failure to do a go-around.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/6/1999
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1146
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City DORRANCE
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 18707
Event Date Year 1999
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 NONE
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 1100
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1145 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 50
Weather Observation Facility ID AVP
Elevation of weather observation facility 963
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4600
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1378
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 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 654
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 6 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1310
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Apr 20 2001 4:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4352P
NTSB Number NYC99LA194
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 182P
Aircraft Series Identifier 182P
Aircraft Serial Number 18264661
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 12 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 37
Airframe Hours 2574
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PRECISION TOOL AND MACHINE CO.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1698 STAIRVILLE RD.
Aircraft Owner City MOUNTAIN TOP
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 18707
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 AVP
Departure City WILKES-BARRE
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 20 2001 4:07AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 1700
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --