Great Barrington Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Great Barrngton, Massachusetts 01230
Thursday, January 18, 1990 19:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT AND FIVE PASSENGERS FLEW TO THE GREAT BARRINGTON AIRPORT TO NIGHT SKI AT A NEARBY AREA. AFTER ARRIVAL, THEY LEARNED THAT THE SKI FACILITY WAS CLOSED. THEY DECIDED TO FLY TO PITTSFIELD, MA, WHERE SKI AREAS WERE OPEN. WHILE DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 29, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 60 FT TREE, 493 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL, HIT OTHER TREES AND CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT'S GROSS WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 3868 LBS; ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS CALCULATED TO BE 95.71 INCHES. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 3500 LBS AND ITS MAXIMUM AFT CG LIMIT WAS 95 INCHES. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT TO THIS AIRPORT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE FROM TREES WHILE DEPARTING FROM THE AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE TO BE EXCEEDED, DARKNESS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPORT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/18/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City GREAT BARRNGTON
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01230
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GREAT BARRINGTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GBR
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 739
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1845 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 105
Weather Observation Facility ID BAF
Elevation of weather observation facility 271
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 31
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
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) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 3
Injury Total All 6
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2172
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 18 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 44566
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N38389
NTSB Number NYC90FA051
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32R-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32R-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-7780423
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR EAST
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 864 SCHROETER AVE.
Operator City FRANKLIN SQUARE
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 11010
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1900
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PSF
Destination City PITTSFIELD,
Destination State MA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
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 29
Runway Length 2579
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --