Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Youngstown Elser Metro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
North Lima, Ohio 44452
Sunday, April 18, 2004 20:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was practicing landings to runway 28. The sun had set, but there was still residual light to the west. The airplane took off, completed a circuit at a low altitude, and just barely cleared trees and wires on the final approach to a landing. As the pilot taxied the airplane back to the approach end of the runway, a witness saw that the cockpit instrument lights were on. The airplane took off again, and flew another circuit at low altitude, then impacted trees as it was turning onto the final approach leg. One area resident heard engine "backfires," while others thought the engine "just didn't sound right," and had an "odd noise," but didn't hear any backfires. Two airline transport pilots, who were watching the airplane from the airport ramp, did not note any engine problems, and an examination of the airplane after the accident also did not reveal any airframe or engine anomalies. The runway had a precision approach path indicator (PAPI), described by one of the airline transport pilots as "brilliant red." The pilot had an eye examination about 6 months prior to the accident. On a questionnaire, he stated "yes" to whether bright lights bothered him, and "yes" to having trouble with night vision.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain a safe altitude clearance from trees. Factors included the night lighting conditions and the pilot's diminished night vision capability.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/18/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | North Lima |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 44452 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405742N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803955W |
| Event Location Airport | Youngstown Elser Metro |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4G4 |
| 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 | 100 |
| Airport Elevation | 1196 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2051 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 10 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | YNG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1196 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 22000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| 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) | 17171 |
| NTSB Notification Source | GLROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 18 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2005 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Cleveland |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5369P |
| NTSB Number | IAD04FA017 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-418 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 5 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 22 |
| Airframe Hours | 4367 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | James V. Ventresco, Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Youngstown |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 44512 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 4G4 |
| Departure City | North Lima |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2015 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 4012 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |