- Date
- April 2, 1991, 17:19 local (22:19 UTC)
- Place
- Naples, NY
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3667WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910402011459A
- Case key
- 36786
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
Flight by the pilot into known icing conditions, which resulted in structural (wing) ice and subsequent loss of aircraft control. The weather condition was a related factor.
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 made a departure and was cleared to climb to 9000 ft. during the last portion of the climb, the rate of climb decreased. After reaching 8000 ft, the airplane entered a descent to 4100 ft, then it climbed to 5100 ft. the airplane then entered another descent, leveled off at 3800 ft and disppeared from radar. Subsequently, the airplane descended and crashed in mountainous terrain. Witnesses reported the engine was operating at a high power setting before impact. No preimpct part failure or malfunction was found. Icing conditions were present and the pilot had commented about encountering ice on his previous flight (to rochester). There were reports of moderate rime icing from an MD-80 and a Beech 99.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3667W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-575
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard G. Stutesman
- Registered owner
- Richard G Stutsman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ROC · Rochester, NY
- Destination
- N12 · Lakewood, NJ
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 770 total · 538 in this make and model · 639 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROC, 30 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.