Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
West Chester County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Castle, New York 10504
Wednesday, November 15, 1989 23:35 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16. THE RADAR CONTROLLER SAW THE AIRPLANE GO OFF THE LOCALIZER ONCE TO THE LEFT AND ONCE TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTROLLER WARNED THE PILOT ABOUT THE DEVIATIONS AND ALERTED HIM ABOUT BEING 300 FEET TOO LOW. RADAR LAST SHOWED THE AIRPLANE AT 700 FEET MSL AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE LOCALIZER COURSE. GROUND ELEVATION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 600 FEET MSL AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A 100 FOOT HIGH TREE. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS PARTIAL OBSCURATION WITH 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY. THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 40 SIMULATED INSTRUMENT AND 32 NIGHT FLIGHT HOURS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE ILS DURING THE ILS APPROACH AND FAILED TO PERFORM THE MISSED APPROACH.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2335 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NEW CASTLE |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 10504 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WEST CHESTER COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HPX |
| 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 | 439 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2335 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HPN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 439 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 48 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| 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) | 29 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2349 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 16 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42540 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55399 |
| NTSB Number | NYC90FA030 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7335228 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2600 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| 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 | MILLER, WALTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 318 RESERVOIR ST |
| Operator City | NEEDHAM |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 02194 |
| 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 | 4G6 |
| Departure City | HORNEL |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HPN |
| Destination City | WHITE PLAINS |
| Destination State | NY |
| 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 | 16 |
| Runway Length | 6548 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |