Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Chatham Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chatham, Massachusetts 02633
Friday, August 16, 2002 12:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot performed a instrument approach to runway 6, a 3,001 foot-long, asphalt runway. He was in and out of clouds, but maintained visual contact with the runway. When the airplane was about 600 feet over the approach end of runway 6, he began a left turn and entered the traffic pattern for runway 24. While on final approach, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway. The pilot said he was "too low and slow to do a missed approach and attempted to land." The airplane touched down "too far down" the runway and the pilot was unable to stop before the airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and collided with trees. The weather reported at the airport, near the time of the accident included: winds from 200 degrees at 12 knots, with 18 knot gusts; 10 miles visibility; and an overcast ceiling at 500 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue the landing after losing visual contact with the runway, which resulted in his failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, and the subsequent overrun. Factors in this accident were the clouds and low ceiling.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/16/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chatham |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02633 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414118N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0695922W |
| Event Location Airport | CHATHAM MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CQX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 68 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1252 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CQX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 68 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 232 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13015 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 16 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 17 2003 10:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Bedford |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N20787 |
| NTSB Number | NYC02LA167 |
| 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 | PA32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7840181 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 1950 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Marken Air Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bloomfield |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06002 |
| 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 | HFD |
| Departure City | HARTFORD |
| Departure State | CT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CQX |
| Destination City | Chatham |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 21 2003 12:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 3001 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |