- Date
- October 17, 2011, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Berkley, MA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3662EAmerican Champion 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111017024779A
- Case key
- 82093
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 did not maintain clearance from a tree during the final approach in solar glare conditions.
Findings · 2
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 reported encountering solar glare during landing on runway 27. The airplane impacted a tree on the right edge of the approach end of the runway, then impacted the ground and came to rest inverted about 140 feet from the tree. The airplane sustained damage to the engine firewall, fuselage, and right wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or anomalies. According to U.S. Naval Observatory data for the day of the accident, sunset occurred at 1800, about 45 minutes after the accident.
Factual narrative
According to police officers who responded to the accident site, the pilot reported encountering solar glare during landing on runway 27. The airplane impacted a tree on the right edge of the approach end of runway 27, then impacted the ground and came to rest inverted about 140 feet from the tree contact location. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who examined the airplane after the accident, found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or anomalies with the airplane. The inspector reported damage to the engine firewall, fuselage, and right wing. Despite several attempts to contact the pilot, no statement could be obtained, and the pilot did not complete the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form, 6120.1. According to U.S. Naval Observatory sun and moon data for the day of the accident, sunset occurred at 1800, approximately 45 minutes after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3662E
- Reported as
- American Champion 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-6977
- Airframe hours
- 4,428
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 2011
- Departed
- Unknown
- Destination
- 1M8 · Berkley, MA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 1M8 · Myricks Airport, runway 27, 2,466 × 50 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 136 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.64 inHg
- Observed at
- TAN, 5 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.
Other investigations on N3662E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.