Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pottstown Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania 19518
Sunday, March 5, 1989 4:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A STUDENT PLT & PASSENGER TOOK OFF AT NIGHT IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH LOW CEILINGS, FOG & RAIN. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT FLY OVERHEAD, VERIFIED THE CEILING WAS VERY LOW & THAT RAIN WAS FALLING, SOMETIMES HEAVILY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AS IT FLEW INTO TREES ON ABOUT 5 DEG RISING TERRAIN. THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED, BUT THE PLT WALKED TO A ROADWAY & WAS HELPED. THE ACFT WAS OWNED BY THE STUDENT PLT'S FATHER, WHO SAID HE TOOK IT WITHOUT PERMISSION. BEFORE FLYING, BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT WERE SEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. FOUR HRS AFTER THE ACDNT, BLOOD WAS DRAWN FROM THE PLT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.075% (75 MG/DL). A CHECK OF THE PASSENGER'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.085% (85 MG/DL). POLICE RPRTD THE PASSENGER WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, AND HIS VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WITHOUT THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATION OR TRAINING. FACTORS FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES, HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING, DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, RISING TERRAIN, TREES, AND FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER TO USE A SEAT BELT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/5/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | DOUGLAS TWSP |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19518 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | POTTSTOWN MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N47 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 256 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 355 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NXX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 361 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| 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) | 0 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 400 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 5 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 745 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38809 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5348S |
| NTSB Number | NYC89FA095 |
| 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 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-26770 |
| 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 | Mar 16 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 97 |
| Airframe Hours | 2719 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES V. DAVIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 135 HILL RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | DOUGLASVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19518 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | THOMAS V. DAVIS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | N47 |
| Departure City | POTTSTOWN |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 2700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |