ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38107
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 December 1994 |
| Time: | 20:14 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R-200 |
| Owner/operator: | Gibson Air Academy Inc. |
| Registration: | N33049 |
| MSN: | 28R-7535112 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-CIC |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Nesquehoning, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Bradford, PA (KBFD) |
| Allaire, NJ (KBLM) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AT NIGHT OVER A MOUTAINOUS AREA. DURING FLIGHT, HE CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICES. ATC ADVISED HIM TO MAINTAIN 5500' MSL, AND HE CLIMBED TO THAT ALTITUDE. DURING A FREQUENCY CHANGE (FROM WILKES BARRE APPROACH CONTROL TO ALLENTOWN APPROACH CONTROL) RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST. THE CONTROLLER TRIED SEVERAL TIME TO RE-ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TREES ON TOP OF BROAD MOUNTAIN AND WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND FIRE. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 600' AREA. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INDICATED MARGINAL VFR WEATHER AND FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH AT ALLENTOWN, A SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION AT 1822 EST REPORTED SNOW SHOWERS WITH 1 1/2 MILES VISIBILITY IN FOG. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
Probable Cause: the non-instrument-rated pilot's poor in-flight decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, at night, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to ensure clearance from obstructions/terrain. Related factors were the instrument meteorological flight conditions (low ceiling and fog), the dark night, and the pilot's lack of total instrument flight experience.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB BFO95FA020
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 17:49 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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