- Date
- August 9, 1991, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Muncie Valley, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5007PPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 36785
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 pilot's attempt to maintain visual flight into known instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in a collision with trees. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain a pre-flight weather briefing and his failure to maintain the minimum en route altitude on his route of flight.
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
There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather briefing. He departed VFR during adverse weather conditions. He flew a VOR airway at an altitude 2000 feet below the published minimum en route altitude for that route. The pilot had an instrument rating, but he had a total actual instrument flight time of 10 hours and 6 approaches. He did not file an IFR flight plan. The weather along the route of flight was reported by witnesses and reporting facilities as low ceilings, restricted visibility and rain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5007P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-10
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph J. Duffy
- Registered owner
- Joseph J. Duffy
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- AVP · Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Destination
- FWA · Fort Wayne, IN
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 681 total · 450 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken