DCA82AA009

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-31 · Ithaca, NY · January 5, 1982

Accident · FatalFinal report
Date
January 5, 1982, 07:49 local (12:49 UTC)
Place
Ithaca, NY
Injuries
2 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N546BAPiper PA-31
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 5, 1983
Report
Board-adopted at Board Meeting
NTSB office
Major Investigations Division
FAA report
19820105001919A
Case key
71159

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Airframe/component/system failure/malfunctionApproach
Flt control syst,wing flap control - wornCause
Loss of control - in flightApproach
Flt control syst,wing flap control - inadequateCause
Acft/equip,inadequate handling/perf capabilitiesManufacturerCause
Flight control,flap - asymmetricalCause
Aircraft handling - not possiblePilot in commandCause
Weather condition - turbulenceFactor
Weather condition - windshearFactor
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The acft was on a scheduled commuter flt from utica, NY to Washington, DC with a stop at Ithaca, NY. The en route portion of the flt from utica to Ithaca was normal. At 0735 EST, the acft was at 6000 ft MSL when apch control informed the aircrew to expect an ILS apch to rwy 32 at Ithaca. At 0739, an emerg was declared concerning a split flap cond with 1 flap dwn. Drg the next 5 min, the crew retained control of the acft while dscndg from aprx 2500 to 1900 ft. at 0744:40, the crew rprtd on the localizer course at 9 mi from the arpt, then rprtd maintaining control with full rgt aileron. Shortly after rprtg the gnd in sight, the plane crashed & burned in a wooded area, 6.7 mi from the arpt. It descended thru the trees in an 80 to 90 deg l bank, aprx 24 deg nose dwn. Fnd r flap 34 deg dwn & l flap up. The inboardfemale spline component of the l flap flex cable was worn & the male fitting would rotate within. Car 3.339 reqd a mechanical flap interconnect when acft can not be controlled w split flaps. Mod low alt turbc & low lvl wnd shear enctrd

Aircraft

Registration
N546BA
Reported as
Piper PA-31
Category
Airplane
Serial number
31409
Engine
Lycoming TIO-540-A2C, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Part 135
Operator
Empire Airlines
Registered owner
Empire Airlines
Departed
C · Utica, NY
Destination
C · Washington, DC
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
Tompkins County, runway 32, 5,001 × 150 ft

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
26
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Flight hours
3,300 total · 728 in this make and model · 265 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 20 knots
Visibility
5 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
2,500 ft overcast

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.