Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Westchester County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greenwich, Connecticut 06831
Friday, June 22, 2001 8:58 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instrument rated pilot obtained weather briefings for his destination, which reported instrument meteorological conditions, including fog, mist, low visibilities and ceilings. The pilot then departed and flew to his destination, where he was cleared for an ILS approach. The airplane flew along the localizer course, and about a 1/2-mile from the approach end of the runway, the airplane initiated a climb and made a left turn toward the east. The airplane continued to turn left and flew north. It then began a series of left and right hand ascending and descending turns to various altitudes. During the last 3 minutes of flight, the airplane made 18 ascents and descents, with vertical speeds varying between positive 4,600 and negative 6,000 fpm, and it's altitude varied between 600 and 1,800 feet msl. Two witnesses heard the airplane fly loudly overhead before it collided with terrain, and reported that the weather was very foggy. At the time of the accident, weather reported at the airport included zero visibility, fog, vertical visibility 100 feet. According to FAA Flight Training Handbook Advisory Circular (AC) 61-21A, "If neither horizon or surface references exist, the airplane's attitude must be determined by artificial means - an attitude indicator or other flight instruments. Sight, supported by other senses such as the inner ear and muscle sense, is used to maintain spatial orientation. However, during periods of low visibility, the supporting senses sometimes conflict with what is seen. When this happens, a pilot is particularly vulnerable to spatial disorientation." Two independent toxicology reports detected chlorpheniramine, a sedating antihistamine, in the pilot's blood and urine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions, due to spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were the fog, and the pilot's use of a sedating medication.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/22/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 858 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | GREENWICH |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06831 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 410532N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0734202W |
| Event Location Airport | WESTCHESTER COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HPN |
| 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 | 439 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Abbreviated |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HPN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 439 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| 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) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 980 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 13186 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 22 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 18 2003 4:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WINDSOR LOCKS FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N13VH |
| NTSB Number | IAD01FA070 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8113056 |
| 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 | Dec 1 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5448.5 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HEBER, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | FT. LAUDERDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33334 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | AIY |
| Departure City | ATLANTIC CITY |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 751 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HPN |
| Destination City | WHITE PLAINS |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Missed approach (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 28 2002 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 6548 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |