- Date
- March 3, 1991, 19:30 local (Mar 4, 1991, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- West Brookfield, MA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N77YBeech F-33A
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910303003709A
- Case key
- 36782
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
The decision of the pilot to fly the airplane in conditions that prevented him from seeing and avoiding higher terrain. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's decision to not follow the instrument approach into palmer, and the reduced visibility due to rain, fog and 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 airplane struck trees on unlighted, rising terrain after flying an instrument approach to tone airport and attempting to proceed to another airport. The accident occurred 700 feet below approach minimums and 6 miles away from the instrument approach airport at night with rain and low clouds present. Radar data showed the airplane operating below the minimum altitudes for the instrument approach and not following the published approach procedure. The pilot said he decided to turn back to the first airport and in the progress the airplane struck rising terrain. The pilot said there were no problems with the engine or airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77Y
- Reported as
- Beech F-33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-920
- Airframe hours
- 1,820
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen Grady
- Registered owner
- Walbach Properties Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 1990 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- ACK · Nantucket, MA
- Destination
- PMX · Palmer, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PMX · Palmer Metropolitan
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,365 total · 1,284 in this make and model · 5,399 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.