- Date
- April 22, 1986, 19:10 local (Apr 23, 1986, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Spring Valley, NY
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N44331Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860422013389A
- Case key
- 30182
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 pax stated that he & the plt were at a bar where they had about three beers rpior to this flight. During the flight the pilot did several stalls and some aerobatic maneuvers. The pax was unnerved and told the plt that he wanted to return to the arpt. During the final apch leg to the arpt the plt undershot the rwy and the acft collided withtrees located about 475 ft from and below the elevation of the rwy. A witness saw the acft apch the arpt in a normal manner with the engine running before the collision. The plt was comatose for several days afterwards and has no recollection of the accident. The pax reported no problem with the acft before the accident. Exam of the acft did not disclose evidence of malfunction. The barometeric pressure was 29.75. The altimeter was set to 30.40. According to the plt's logbook, the plt's last flt and last night flt were respectively 6 and 5.5 months before the accident date. A blood alcohol test was not performed on the plt because of his injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44331
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7425404
- Airframe hours
- 6,516
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vincent Rovito/Geo.Victorov
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 6, 1985 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- N24 · Spring Valley, NY
- Destination
- N24 · Spring Valley, NY
- Airport
- N24 · Ramapo Valley, runway 26, 2,185 × 50 ft
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 153 total · 153 in this make and model · 103 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 340° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HPN, 15 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.