Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tompkins County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ithaca, New York 14850
Saturday, May 12, 2001 9:36 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was assigned a cruise altitude of 6,000 feet msl. Radar recorded the airplane at 5,900 feet msl. While in IMC, the airplane was vectored on to the final approach course for an ILS approach. At localizer intercept, the airplane was descending approximately 500 fpm. When the airplane was 5 miles from the LOM, the controller advised the pilot he was cleared for the approach, and that radar services were terminated. The airplane crossed the LOM approximately a 1/4 mile right of course, and within 100 feet of the glide-slope crossing altitude of 2,837 feet msl. After the LOM, the decent rate slowed to approximately 400 fpm, and the airplane continued to descend for about 1 minute 38 seconds. The airplane leveled at 2,200 feet msl, and remained at that altitude until radar contact was lost about a minute later. Approximately 2 miles from the airport, the pilot looked outside, to see if he could acquire the ground visually. He saw the ground approaching from the front of the airplane seconds before impact. The airplane impacted the ground, and came to rest about 80 feet below the elevation of the runway. Prior to impact, the pilot thought the airplane was in level flight approximately 1,000 feet agl. The pilot reported no failure or malfunctions with the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/12/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 936 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ithaca |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14850 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 145 |
| Airport Elevation | 1099 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 910 Eastern Daylight 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?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.75 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.83 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10714 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 12 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1011 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2001 3:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Rochester FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N36127 |
| NTSB Number | NYC01LA120 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R7885163 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 14 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2597 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MMK Lance Corp. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 100 Winston Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cliffside Park |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07010 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | TEB |
| Departure City | TETERBORO |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 805 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ITH |
| Destination City | ITHACA |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker to threshold (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 4 2001 12:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 6601 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |