# Accident 19971128035809A: Cessna 310R, St Marys, PA, November 28, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 28, 1997, 18:10 local time
- Place: St Marys, PA
- Airport: St Marys Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: UGBA
- Location: 41.4198° N, 78.5503° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4198&lon=-78.5503&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6923, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6923-2003-02-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 310R (registry code 2074245, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 310R
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 102 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98FA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA035) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971128035809A

## Narrative

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

ACFT WAS CLEARD FOR AN ILS APP TO ARPT, WHEN IT DESCENDED INTO TERRAIN EAST OF ARPT, 2SUFFERED FATAL, STMARYS,PA. (.4)THE PILOT INITIATED CONSECUTIVE LOCALIZER/DME APPROACHES TO THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT AFTER RECEIVING WEATHER INFORMATION FROM THE AWOS, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED OUT OF SERVICE AND BROADCASTING IN THE 'TEST' MODE.  RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT DURING BOTH APPROACHES THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE MDA FOR EACH SEGMENT OF THE APPROACH FLOWN.  DURING THE FIRST APPROACH, APPROXIMATELY 10 DME, THE AIRPLANE WAS DEPICTED 1,400 FEET BELOW THE PUBLISHED MDA FOR THAT SEGMENT AND 260 FEET BELOW THE LOWEST MDA FOR THE APPROACH.  APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE PILOT ADVISED HE WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR A SECOND APPROACH.  DURING THE SECOND APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN ON A RIDGE LINE APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET BELOW THE MDA FOR THAT SEGMENT OF THE APPROACH. WEATHER WAS REPORTED TO BE VARIABLE CEILING 100 FEET AND 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY, WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE AND FOG.  IN THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE APPROACH PLATE FOR THE LOC/DME APPROACH IT STATED: 'OBTAIN LOCAL ALTIMETER ON CTAF/AWOS, WHEN                                     NOT AVAILABLE, PROCEDURE NOT AUTHORIZED.'

## 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 NYC98FA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA035), Nov 28, 1997: Cessna 310R (N6923), St Mary'S, PA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: was the pilot's descent below the minimum descent altitude and his failure to comply with published procedures.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.