- Date
- October 25, 1984, 22:56 local (Oct 26, 1984, 03:56 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N75DRPiper PA32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841025059839A
- Case key
- 33879
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.
Analysis
The plt was high on the ILS approach and flew a VFR very low circling approach after clearance to change from rwy 2 to rwy 20. The tower controller said the acft was so low that at one point he lost sight of the acft. He advised the plt that he appeared to be low. The plt also said that he was low on final and could see red on the VASI. A tree line islocated 3500 ft from the approach end of rwy 20. These trees are about 50 ft tall and the acft contacted them at about 34 ft AGL. The night was dark but the visibility was reported to be 5 miles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75DR
- Reported as
- Piper PA32RT-300T (PA32RT-300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7887163
- Airframe hours
- 1,140
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dale L. Ritterbusch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1983 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Destination
- COU · Columbia, MO
- Airport
- COU · Columbia, runway 20, 6,499 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,280 total · 457 in this make and model · 1,080 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- COU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.