Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Homer City, Pennsylvania 15478
Friday, October 11, 1985 21:40 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE ALONG ABOUT A 5 MILE DISTANCE. SOME WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE ACFT ALTITUDE AS JUST ABOVE TREETOPS. WITNESS HEARD ENGINE SOUNDS AND SAW LIGHTS ON THE ACFT. THE ACFT FLIGHT WAS ON A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN AT A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 1250 FT. THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED ALONG A DISTANCE OF 375 FT AND ORIENTED ON A 160 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. THE DESTINATION, PITTSBURGH, IS LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT, STATE COLLEGE. EVIDENCE OF ACFT MALFUNCTION WAS NOT DISCLOSED. THE ACFT HAD 1902 LBS OF CARGO INCLUDING 65 LBS OF DRY ICE WHICH WAS CONTAINED IN STYROFOAM BOXES. AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGICAL FINDINGS WERE NEGATIVE. THE PLT FLEW NIGHTLY, FROM STATE COLLEGE TO PITTSBURGH AND RETURNED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. HE OPERATED A BUSINESS DURING THE DAY. WITNESSES STATED THE PLT WAS WELL RESTED AND IN GOOD SPIRITS BEFORE THE FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/11/1985
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2140
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City HOMER CITY
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 15478
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 10
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2150 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 135
Weather Observation Facility ID JST
Elevation of weather observation facility 2284
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Bright
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2472
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 11 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29880
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3257
NTSB Number NYC86FA006
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name de Havilland
Aircraft Model DHC-6
Aircraft Series Identifier DHC-6
Aircraft Serial Number 192
Certified Max Gross Weight 11579
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 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Sep 19 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 36
Airframe Hours 33487
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name B & B PARTNERSHIP
Aircraft Owner Street Address RR1 O.O. BOX 236
Aircraft Owner City RAPIDAN
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 22733
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MOUNTAIN AIR CARGO, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 488
Operator City DENVER
Operator State NC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 28037
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code UNV
Departure City STATE COLLEGE
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2100
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PGH
Destination City PITTSBURGH
Destination State PA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2002 12:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --