Tompkins County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dryden, New York 13068
Saturday, February 25, 1984 10:50 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS UTILIZING THE AUTOPILOT AND FLT DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE THE ILS APPCH TO RWY 32. THE AUTOPILOT WAS TRACKING THE LOCALIZER WHILE THE PILOT CONTROLLED THE RATE OF DESCENT ALONG THE GLIDESLOPE WITH PITCH COMMAND WHEEL ON THE AUTOPILOT, USING THE COMMAND BARS AS A STEERING REFERENCE IN ADDITION TO THE RAW DATA GLIDESLOPE NEEDLE ON THE HSI. ALL SEEMED NORMAL, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, UNTIL THE ACFT STRUCK TREES ABOUT 450 FEET ABOVE ARPT ELEVATION TWO MILES SHORT OF THE RWY AND CAME TO REST ON THE LOCALIZER CENTERLINE. A ZERO FT CEILING WITH AN EIGHTH MILE VSBY EXISTED AT THE ARPT. DURING THE INVSTGTN, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE 1000A IFCS WILL NOT PROVIDE VERTICAL STEERING COMMANDS AS OPERATED BY THE PLT, BUT IS DRIVEN BY THE PITCH WHEEL. THIS IS NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE POH. THE PLT HAD FLOWN EXTENSIVELY WITH THE 800 SERIES IFCS WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE EXPECTED STEERING COMMANDS. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE PRECLUDED A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE RAW DATA GLIDESLOPE NEEDLE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/25/1984
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1050
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City DRYDEN
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 13068
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TOMPKINS COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ITH
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 145
Airport Elevation 1099
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1050 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 325
Weather Observation Facility ID ITH
Elevation of weather observation facility 1099
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
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) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3284
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27664
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6886D
NTSB Number NYC84FA092
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 425
Aircraft Series Identifier 425
Aircraft Serial Number 425-0152
Certified Max Gross Weight 8200
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 7
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jan 12 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 30
Airframe Hours 572
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DONALD J. MOORE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 620 LAFAYETTE RD.
Aircraft Owner City HAMPTON
Aircraft Owner State NH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 03842
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 235 SARGENT RD.
Operator City BROOKLINE
Operator State MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 02146
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ORH
Departure City WORCESTER
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 955
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ITH
Destination City ITHACA
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 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 32
Runway Length 5801
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --