Westchester Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pocantico Hills, New York 10570
Wednesday, July 27, 1988 1:30 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED IN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS AGAINST THE ADVICE OF SEVERAL PEOPLE HE TALKED TO. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE FIRST OF FOUR OR FIVE MAYDAY CALLS WERE HEARD BY BRIDGEPORT RADIO AND AN AIRCRAFT FLYING IN THE BRIDGEPORT, CT AREA. ELT SIGNALS WERE HEARD DURING VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH N9715W AND PRIOR TO THE LAST KNOWN TRANSMISSION FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A WITNESS, WHO LIVES NEAR THE OUTER MARKER FOR THE ILS AT RUNWAY 16 AT WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT, HEARD AN AIRCRAFT FLY OVER HIS HOUSE TWICE, THE SECOND TIME HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GOING TO COLLIDE WITH THE GROUND. HE STATED THAT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 0130 AND THE WEATHER WAS 'ZERO, ZERO.' THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES IN HILLY TERRAIN NEAR THE AIRPORT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/27/1988
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 130
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City POCANTICO HILLS
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 10570
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WESTCHESTER
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HPN
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 145 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID BDR
Elevation of weather observation facility 16
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 950
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) 2146
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 27 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1730
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38659
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:57AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9715W
NTSB Number NYC88FA196
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-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 23191
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
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 Jul 8 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 11
Airframe Hours 4790
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIR GROUND LEASING
Aircraft Owner Street Address 34 WHITLOCKVILLE ROAD
Aircraft Owner City KATONAH
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10536
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIR GROUND LEASING
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address WHITLOCKVILLE RD
Operator City KATONAH
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 10536
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BID
Departure City BLOCK ISLAND
Departure State RI
Departure Country
Departure Time 2315
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HPN
Destination City WHITE PLAINS
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 16
Runway Length 6550
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --