Lake Placid Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lake Placid, New York 12946
Wednesday, March 1, 1989 12:56 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PILOT DEPARTED SARANAC LAKE IN INTERMITTENT SNOW SQUALLS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER THE PILOT CONTACTED LAKE PLACID UNICOM AND SAID HE WOULD BE LANDING IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES. 2 MINUTES LATER THE UNICOM OPERATOR HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVERHEAD AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF A HILL 3/4 MI SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, JUST OFF THE APPROACH END OF RWY 32. THE AIRPORT WAS OBSCURED IN SNOW WITH VISIBILITY AROUND 1/3 TO 1/2 MI, BUT THE NORTH END OF THE FIELD WAS CLEAR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S DEPARTURE INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HIS CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/1/1989
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1256
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City LAKE PLACID
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 12946
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 LAKE PLACID
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LKP
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 1744
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1245 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID SLK
Elevation of weather observation facility 1663
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
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) -6
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
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 --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1675
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 1 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1850
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40578
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:32PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1729Q
NTSB Number NYC89FA097
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 BEECH
Aircraft Model 95-A55
Aircraft Series Identifier 95-A55
Aircraft Serial Number TC 304
Certified Max Gross Weight 4880
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 Oct 28 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 30
Airframe Hours 2383
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PAUL EDWARD FIELD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7690 JEWETT HOLMWOOD RD.
Aircraft Owner City ORCHARD PARIS
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 14127
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SLK
Departure City SARANAC LAKE
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 1240
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 32
Runway Length 4200
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --