- Date
- February 9, 2016, 06:15 local (11:15 UTC)
- Place
- Williamsport, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N234NCPiper PA34
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160209001129A
- Case key
- 92702
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 failure to maintain altitude in cruise flight due to his diverted attention, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
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 that during a cross-country flight at night, he was attempting to deviate due to deteriorating weather. During which, he failed to maintain terrain clearance and the airplane contacted the top of a tree. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane uneventfully at an airport about 23 miles away from where the tree contact was made. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings and windshield. The inspector did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight at night, he was attempting to deviate due to deteriorating weather. During which, he failed to maintain terrain clearance and the airplane contacted the top of a tree. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane uneventfully at an airport about 23 miles away from where the tree contact was made. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the wings and windshield. The inspector did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234NC
- Reported as
- Piper PA34 (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7350146
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 4,463
- Engines
- Lycoming LIO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- New Century Air Service
- Registered owner
- Ial Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2015 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- TSO · Carrolton, OH
- Destination
- BDL · Windsor Locks, CT
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 26,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 26,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.56 inHg
- Icing
- Rime
- Observed at
- IPT, 23 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 817 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.