What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 0430Z on June 28, 2010 N30062, a Piper PA28-181 crashed in a corn field 665 feet prior to the approach end of runway 29 at Great Barrington Airport, Massachusetts. This aircraft at the time of the crash was operating under VFR flight rules. The airfield was reported to be under restricted visibility due to fog, as reported by three witnesses who live adjacent to and local to the airfield. According to air traffic control, the pilot had cancelled an IFR clearance and proceeded VFR to the airfield after being issued an approcach clearance to execute the full ndb-a approach. The pilot communicated with a witness who was a flight instructor on the ground via text messaging on cell phones to obtain airfield weather conditions to include the current altimiter setting, and make arrangement plans for ground transportation should the pilot be unable to land at the airfieled. According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft circled overhead the airfield and attempted to line up with the runway and land when the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft appeared to impact the left wingtip first, then the wreckage came to rest 38 feet from the area of initial ground impact with the left wing seperated two feet from the fuselage, wheel side down and the entire wreckage was on a heading of approximately 160 degrees and upright. The nose gear was folded under the nose of the aircraft and right main and left main gear intact and vertical. The aircraft had substantial damage. The pilot and passenger were rushed to berkshire medical center in pittsfield, Massachusetts with non-life threatining injuries. According to eyewitnesses, the pilot and passenger were unable to exit using the main entry door, and exited the wreckage from the rear baggage door. No evidence of engine failure was found, as the engine operated without issue when restarted on July 1, 2010. No other obvious malfunctions were noted, the aircraft departed Great Barrington and saratoga springs on June 27, 2010 without any known discrepancies. Several witnesses living adjacent to the runway reported visibility to be very limited due to substantial fog conditions. An experienced airman living 1/3 mile from the runway also reported heavy fog. The NTSB will be analyzing a portable GPS unit for flight path and track history. privacy data omitted Did not contact this inspector for interview or statement. Through a request for information to his attorney, privacy data omitted provided information to complete this report to include pilot logbook and flight training history. The NTSB reported to have received a statement from the pilot's attorney written by privacy data omitted. Despite communication attempt with privacy data omitted no further information has been received at the time of completion of this report.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 0430Z ON JUNE 28, 2010 N30062, A PIPER PA28-181 CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD 665 FEET PRIOR TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 29 AT GREAT BARRINGTON AIRPORT, MASSACHUSETTS. THIS AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS OPERATING UNDER VFR FLIGHT RULES. THE AIRFIELD WAS REPORTED TO BE UNDER RESTRICTED VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG, AS REPORTED BY THREE WITNESSES WHO LIVE ADJACENT TO AND LOCAL TO THE AIRFIELD. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, THE PILOT HAD CANCELLED AN IFR CLEARANCE AND PROCEEDED VFR TO THE AIRFIELD AFTER BEING ISSUED AN APPROCACH CLEARANCE TO EXECUTE THE FULL NDB-A APPROACH. THE PILOT COMMUNICATED WITH A WITNESS WHO WAS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON THE GROUND VIA TEXT MESSAGING ON CELL PHONES TO OBTAIN AIRFIELD WEATHER CONDITIONS TO INCLUDE THE CURRENT ALTIMITER SETTING, AND MAKE ARRANGEMENT PLANS FOR GROUND TRANSPORTATION SHOULD THE PILOT BE UNABLE TO LAND AT THE AIRFIELED. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED OVERHEAD THE AIRFIELD AND ATTEMPTED TO LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY AND LAND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO IMPACT THE LEFT WINGTIP FIRST, THEN THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST 38 FEET FROM THE AREA OF INITIAL GROUND IMPACT WITH THE LEFT WING SEPERATED TWO FEET FROM THE FUSELAGE, WHEEL SIDE DOWN AND THE ENTIRE WRECKAGE WAS ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES AND UPRIGHT. THE NOSE GEAR WAS FOLDED UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RIGHT MAIN AND LEFT MAIN GEAR INTACT AND VERTICAL. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE RUSHED TO BERKSHIRE MEDICAL CENTER IN PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS WITH NON-LIFE THREATINING INJURIES. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNABLE TO EXIT USING THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR, AND EXITED THE WRECKAGE FROM THE REAR BAGGAGE DOOR. NO EVIDENCE OF ENGINE FAILURE WAS FOUND, AS THE ENGINE OPERATED WITHOUT ISSUE WHEN RESTARTED ON JULY 1, 2010. NO OTHER OBVIOUS MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GREAT BARRINGTON AND SARATOGA SPRINGS ON JUNE 27, 2010 WITHOUT ANY KNOWN DISCREPANCIES. SEVERAL WITNESSES LIVING ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY REPORTED VISIBILITY TO BE VERY LIMITED DUE TO SUBSTANTIAL FOG CONDITIONS. AN EXPERIENCED AIRMAN LIVING 1/3 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY ALSO REPORTED HEAVY FOG. THE NTSB WILL BE ANALYZING A PORTABLE GPS UNIT FOR FLIGHT PATH AND TRACK HISTORY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT CONTACT THIS INSPECTOR FOR INTERVIEW OR STATEMENT. THROUGH A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO HIS ATTORNEY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROVIDED INFORMATION TO COMPLETE THIS REPORT TO INCLUDE PILOT LOGBOOK AND FLIGHT TRAINING HISTORY. THE NTSB REPORTED TO HAVE RECEIVED A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT'S ATTORNEY WRITTEN BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DESPITE COMMUNICATION ATTEMPT WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NO FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED AT THE TIME OF COMPLETION OF THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.