Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spencer Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spencer, Massachusetts 01562
Wednesday, December 22, 2010 8:54 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departure, the pilot allowed minimal time for the engine to warm up (0.1 hour elapsed for the accident flight, as indicated by the hour meter). While there were no eyewitnesses who saw the departure or accident, one individual located east-northeast of the departure end of the runway heard a loud sound that she attributed to a northerly departure and then heard a sound that she associated with a backfire. Another individual reported hearing a surging or sputtering sound from the engine, followed by silence. About 850 feet from the approach end of the runway opposite the takeoff runway, the left wing collided with a tree. The airplane then descended, rolled inverted and impacted the ground.
Both wing fuel tanks were breached during the accident and the amount of fuel on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be determined. The right tank was selected to supply fuel to the engine, and first responders reported that fuel was leaking from that (breached) tank at the accident site. Examination of the flight controls, engine, engine systems, and fuel supply system revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction.
The flight previous to the accident flight occurred 7 weeks prior. At the end of that flight, the fuel quantity gauges indicated both fuel tanks were about 1/4 full. However, given the elapsed time for the accident flight, it is unlikely that the engine experienced fuel exhaustion.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight collision with a tree while returning to land for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/22/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 854 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Spencer |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 01562 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 421742N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0715753W |
| Event Location Airport | Spencer Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 60M |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 854 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 124 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ORH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1009 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.67 |
| 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) | 29300 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England 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 14 2011 2:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N30ZZ |
| NTSB Number | ERA11FA094 |
| 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-28-151 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7515202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| 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 | Apr 28 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3037 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EDDY HOWARD A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WEST BROOKFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01585-1049 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | EDDY HOWARD A |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WEST BROOKFIELD |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 01585-1049 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 60M |
| Departure City | Spencer |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 852 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FIT |
| Destination City | Fitchburg |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2011 2:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |