Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Atlantic City International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pomona, New Jersey 08240
Friday, April 11, 2003 16:25 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot attempted two ILS approaches, during which the controller made numerous attempts to assist the pilot in intercepting the localizer. The controller instructed the pilot to climb twice when he was below the glideslope, and also made numerous repeated transmissions to obtain pilot acknowledgement of navigational instructions. During the second approach, when the pilot passed through the localizer and continued eastbound, the controller initiated a surveillance approach by providing step-down altitudes and headings to the pilot. The pilot was cleared to land, and instructed to report the runway in sight. The pilot acknowledged the clearance; however, no further transmissions were received by the pilot. Radar data indicated the last recorded position of the airplane was 1.3 nautical miles west northwest of the runway, at 300 feet. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions. Interviews with family members and friends of the pilot, revealed he had received his instrument rating through a week-long school, within the past year, and had "not accumulated much instrument flight time" since then.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow instrument approach procedures. Factors in the accident included the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience and the instrument weather conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/11/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1625 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pomona |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08240 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 392800N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0743609W |
| Event Location Airport | Atlantic City International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ACY |
| 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 | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | 75 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1554 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 75 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.64 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 15285 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Eastern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 11 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Philadelphia FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N256PR |
| NTSB Number | IAD03FA045 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-470 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3650 |
| 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 | Nov 20 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ray's Aviation Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3511 Silverside Rd |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Raymond Elam |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Columbia |
| Operator State | SC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 29205 |
| 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 | CAE |
| Departure City | Columbia |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1437 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ACY |
| Destination City | Pomona |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 15 2004 11:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 9999 |
| Runway Width | 180 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |