NYC84FA274

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-24-260 · Sydney, NY · August 12, 1984

Accident · FatalField investigationFinal report
Date
August 12, 1984, 01:15 local (05:15 UTC)
Place
Sydney, NY
Injuries
1 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N9232PPiper PA-24-260
Weather
Night/dark
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19840812076269A
Case key
35359

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

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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.

In flight collision with objectCircling (ifr)
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Proper altitude - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Object - tree(s)Factor

Analysis

During a night arrival, the plt was cleared for a vor/circling apch to the sidney muni arpt. The published apch was from the hancock VOR with a northerly heading to the arpt of 354 deg. Subsequently, the acft crashed & burned on wooded terrain about 1 mi north of the arpt in the vicinity of a left downwind leg for rwy 7. Initial impact occurred with trees at an elevation of about 1550 ft while paralleling rwy 7/25 (heading 255 deg). The elevation of the arpt was 1027 ft. the min descent alt (mda) for the VOR apch was 2280 ft. an exam of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a preimpact part failure or malfunction. The prop blades had evidence of rotational damage. A test of the plt's blood showed an alcohol level of 101 mgs% (.101%); however, the plt's body (& the wreckage) were not found until 8/15/84. There was evidence that alcohol in the plt's blood would have resulted from putrefaction. About 26 mi sw at binghamton, NY, the 0051 EDT wx was, in part: 1500 ft scattered, 5500 ft overcast, visibility 7MI, wind 120 deg at 5 KTS.

Aircraft

Registration
N9232P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-260
Category
Airplane
Serial number
24-4730
Airframe hours
4,000
Engine
Lycoming IO-540-4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Positioning · Part 91
Registered owner
Ford-Aire, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · June 20, 1984 · 34 hours before
Departed
LGA · Flushing, NY
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
N23 · Sidney Muni, runway 7, 4,220 × 75 ft, macadam

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
27
Certificates
Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Toxicology
Performed
Flight hours
1,900 total · 1,650 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Night/dark
Temperature
-0 °F
Observed at
BGM, 26 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

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