- Date
- October 28, 1990, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9292JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901028047229A
- Case key
- 36833
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 failure of the pilot to maintain a proper altitude on final approach and compensate for the headwind. A factor to the accident was the failure of the pilot to recognize his low altitude and execute a go-around.
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 powerlines and a tree, and came to rest approximately 300 to 400 feet from the approach end of runway 29. The pilot reported an uncontrollable descending right turn due to a split flap condition. Exam of the airplane wreckage and the accident scene revealed no evidence of a pre impact malfunction. The winds were from 300 degrees at 16 to 22 knots. The powerlines were on wooden poles 50 to 60 ft AGL, and approximately 400 to 500 ft from the approach end of the runway. The airplane went through the powerlines leaving the top and bottom wires intact and the middle two wires broken. The airplane then struck a tree with the left wing. Shearing the wing off prior to impacting the ground. There were no wire marks on the wing, however, there were wire marks on the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9292J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3380
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Patrick J. Mcginness
- Departed
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
- Airport
- 8N7 · Mcginness, runway 29, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 692 total · 437 in this make and model · 652 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.