Chester County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Coatesville, Pennsylvania 19320
Monday, November 11, 1985 23:50 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THERE WAS NO WX RPRTG STN AT COATESVILLE, BUT APRX 25 MI ESE AT PHILADELPHIA, THE FORECAST WAS FOR OCNL CEILINGS OF 600'OVERCAST, VIS 3 MI WITH LGT RAIN SHOWERS & FOG. THERE WERE FLT PRCTNS FOR TURBC BLO 5000' DUE TO WND SHEAR, CEILINGS & VIS FREQ BLO 1000' & 3 MI WITH STRATUS, LGT DRIZZLE & FOG. DRG ARRIVAL, THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR A VOR RWY 29 APCH (ILSWAS OUT OF SVC). ON HIS 1ST ATTEMPT, THE PLT MADE A MISSED APCH. HE GOT VECTORS TO FLY THE APCH AGAIN & SAID HE WOULD PROCEED TO PHILADELPHIA, IF A LNDG COULD NOT BE COMPLETED. ON THE 2ND APCH, THE ACFT DSCNDD BLO RADAR COVERAGE AT 1800' MSL, APRX 3 MI ESE OF THE ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED APRX 1 MI NNE OF THE RWY THRESHOLD, WHILE IN A STEEP NOSE DWN ATTITUDE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST 44' NNE OF THE PRINCIPAL IMPACT POINT. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. THE STABILATOR TRIM WAS NOTED IN THE FULL NOSE DWN POSITION; BUT THE SYS'S INTEGRITY WAS NOT MAINTAINED DRG THE ACDNT. WX STUDY INDCD CLD BASES WERE AT 900' MSL. MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) FOR THE APCH WAS 1060' MSL; ARPT ELEV WAS 662'.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/11/1985
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2350
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City COATESVILLE
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 19320
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport CHESTER COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 40N
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation 662
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2351 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 160
Weather Observation Facility ID ILG
Elevation of weather observation facility 80
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 22
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 300
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2984
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 12 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33346
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N54136
NTSB Number BFO86FA005
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-250
Aircraft Serial Number 277405444
Certified Max Gross Weight 5200
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 21 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 61
Airframe Hours 3457
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHESTER COUNTY AVIATION, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 311
Aircraft Owner City COATESVILLE
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19320
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 CCAA
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 Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ELM
Departure City ELMIRA
Departure State NY
Departure Country
Departure Time 2228
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 Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 29
Runway Length 4600
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --