- Date
- December 14, 1991, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fall River, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4959PPiper PA-23-235
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911214056319A
- Case key
- 37046
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 did not follow IFR proceedures and was manuvering at too low an altitude to remain clear of the terrain. Factors in the accident were; fatigue, fog and no visual ground clues.
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
While on an NDB approach, the pilot cancelled his IFR flight plan when he had the field in sight. Shortly after radar service was terminated the pilot reestablished radio contact with ATC and said he lost sight of the airport. ATC instructed the pilot to climb to 2000 feet, but he did not reply. The last radar return depicted the airplane turning to the left (northeast), the published missed approach is a climbing right turn to an altitude of 1900 feet MSL. The airplane impacted trees about 1 1/2 mile northeast of the airport. When the pilot started the approach he had been flying for approximately 5 hour and 40 minutes, non stop from Kentucky. The flight had been flown almost totally in IMC conditions, moderate to severe turbulence, and rime ice. The approach was attempted during the hours of darkness with low visibility and no ground references.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4959P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-560
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B1A5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Milton Novotny, doing business as Novopak Inc.
- Registered owner
- Milton Novotny
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- BWG · Bowling Green, KY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FLR · Fall River Municipal, runway 24, 3,948 × 150 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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,830 total · 1,900 in this make and model · 2,577 as pilot in command · 54 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 220° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWB, 10 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 N4959P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.