Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Alexandria Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pittstown, New Jersey 08848
Tuesady, December 30, 2008 19:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and the flight instructor were performing a training flight toward the pilot's instrument rating and the pilot was attempting to regain night currency. After 15 minutes of flying, the pilot returned to the departure airport, which was also where the flight instructor was based. The pilot flew a practice instrument approach before entering the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing and recalled being about 100 feet below the published traffic pattern altitude. Though the pilot could only recall turning onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane struck trees aligned with the final approach course about 1/4 mile from the runway threshold. The trees in the vicinity of the accident site are about 150 feet tall. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical deficiencies, nor were any reported by the pilot.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from trees during the night landing approach and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/30/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Pittstown |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08848 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 403531N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0750018W |
| Event Location Airport | Alexandria Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N85 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 480 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1854 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DYL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 394 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26466 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2009 11:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N95156 |
| NTSB Number | ERA09FA116 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-25826 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 21 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2524 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCHNEIDER PETER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GLEN GARDNER |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 08826-3146 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SCHNEIDER PETER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GLEN GARDNER |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 08826-3146 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | N85 |
| Departure City | Pittstown |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | N85 |
| Destination City | Pittstown |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2009 11:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 2550 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |