# Accident 19970829024739A: Piper PA34200T, Pittsfield, MA, August 29, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 29, 1997, 22:00 local time
- Place: Pittsfield, MA
- Airport: Pittsfield Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.4276° N, 73.3692° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4276&lon=-73.3692&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40AB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40AB-1998-11-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO360*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,930 total, 2,400 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97FA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA173) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970829024739A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)AFTER A 4 HOUR NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR AT 7,500 FEET, 50 MILES WEST OF THE PILOT'S DESTINATION.  IT WAS ON A GROUND TRACK OF 109 DEGREES, AT A GROUND SPEED OF 167 KNOTS.  THE ATC FACILITY WAS NOT IN COMMUNICATION WITH OR EXPECTING THE AIRPLANE.  THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A DESCENT, AND MAINTAINED A 109 DEGREE GROUND TRACK, AT 169 KNOTS.  THE LAST RADAR SWEEP DISPLAYED THE AIRPLANE LEVEL AT 1,900 FEET MSL, ON THE TRACK OF 109 DEGREES, AT 149 KNOTS.  THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A 2,100 FOOT RIDGE LINE IN LEVEL FLIGHT, AT 1,800 FEET MSL.  THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS 105 DEGREES AND 4.2 MILES EAST OF THE IMPACT SITE.  THE CLOUD COVERAGE WAS ABOUT 2,200 FEET MSL.  EXAMINATION REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINES.  THE PILOT HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF HIGH BLOOD SUGAR AND WAS ON MEDICATION TO CONTROL IT. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A FLIGHT PLAN OR FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH ATC.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97FA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA173), Aug 29, 1997: Piper PA-34-200T (N40AB), Hancock, MA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance and the proper altitude. Contributing was mountainous terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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