- Date
- May 21, 2011, 13:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Greene, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3548RBeech A23
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Albany FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110521010129A
- Case key
- 79186
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue a visual approach with low visibility and in heavy rain and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that while attempting to land in heavy rain and with low visibility, the airplane collided with trees to the right side of the runway before descending and impacting the runway. The collision damaged the left wing, collapsed the landing gear, and substantially damaged the engine firewall. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident. Although the nearest weather observation facility reported no precipitation and 10-mile visibility, it was located 28 miles from the accident location.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that while attempting to land in heavy rain and low visibility, the airplane collided with trees to the right side of the runway before descending and impacting the runway. The collision damaged the left wing, collapsed the landing gear, and substantially damaged the engine firewall. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the airplane's first impact with the ground was 68 feet from the tree impact. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3548R
- Reported as
- Beech A23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-715
- Airframe hours
- 3,157
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-346 SERIES, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gregory Arthur A
- Registered owner
- Gregory Arthur A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 2011 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 4N7 · Greene, NY
- Destination
- 4N7 · Greene, NY
- Airport
- 4N7 · Greene Airport, runway 07, 2,665 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 88
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 12, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,698 total · 800 in this make and model · 3,573 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- BGM, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 263 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.