- Date
- January 1, 1989, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Speculator, NY
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N1432DCessna 170A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890101000079A
- Case key
- 36359
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
Inaccurate inflight planning and decisions by the pilot who inadvertently flew his aircraft from VFR into instrument meteorological conditions while making a descent at night.
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 acft collided with trees about 20 miles north of Speculator, new york and was demolished. Weather reported at the time of departure was clear skies. However, as the flight approached it's destination, weather began to deteriorate and the pilot deverted to glens falls, new york. During descent in darkness, aircraft collided with trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1432D
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20141
- Airframe hours
- 2,127
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas King
- Registered owner
- Douglas King
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 1987 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 5B7 · Troy, NY
- Destination
- Tupper Lake, NY
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 244 total · 41 in this make and model · 225 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.