Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Radnow Township, Pennsylvania 19087
Monday, July 16, 1990 15:06 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME AIRPORT FLYING VFR A 1500 FEET MSL. AFTER STARTING A SLOW CLIMB TO 3000 FEET THE PILOT NOTICED THE PROPELER RPM HAD DROPPED ON THE RIGHT ENGINE AND HIS PASSENGER TOLD HIM THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN & FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED ON THE LEFT ENGINE, SO HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON A CLOSED HIGHWAY. WHILE ON APPROACH, THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK A POWERLINE. THE PILOT COULD NOT GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES. THE POST IMPACT FIRE CAUSED TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE OIL LINES & ENGINES EXTERIOR TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE OIL LEAK.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
WIRE STRIKE DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A POWER LOSS, CAUSED BY AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/16/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1506 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | RADNOW TOWNSHIP |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19087 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| 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 | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 843 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 16 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42018 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3EF |
| NTSB Number | NYC90LA162 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-938 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 16 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4400 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ARTHUR N. DEVRIES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RD #1, BOX 85H |
| Aircraft Owner City | GERMANSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 18053 |
| 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 | GED |
| Departure City | SUSSEX CO. |
| Departure State | DE |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1N9 |
| Destination City | ALLENTOWN |
| Destination State | PA |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |