- Date
- January 18, 1990, 19:00 local (Jan 19, 1990, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Great Barrngton, MA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 3 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N38389Piper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900118000699A
- Case key
- 36521
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper altitude and clearance from trees while departing from the airport. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, his allowing the aircraft weight and balance to be exceeded, darkness, and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airport.
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 pilot and five passengers flew to the Great barrington airport to night ski at a nearby area. After arrival, they learned that the ski facility was closed. They decided to fly to pittsfield, MA, where ski areas were open. While departing from runway 29, the aircraft collided with the top of a 60 ft tree, 493 ft from the end of the runway. The aircraft then went out of control, hit other trees and crashed. No preimpact mechanical problem was found that would have resulted in the accident. The aircraft's gross weight was estimated to be 3868 lbs; its center of gravity was calculated to be 95.71 inches. The aircraft's maximum certified gross weight was 3500 lbs and its maximum aft CG limit was 95 inches. This was the pilot's first flight to this airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38389
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7780423
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Air East
- Destination
- PSF · Pittsfield,, MA
- Airport
- GBR · Great Barrington, runway 29, 2,579 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 25 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- BAF, 31 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.
Other investigations on N38389 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.