NYC93FA080

The purpose of the flight was instrument training. Wx was obtained and an IFR flight plan was filed the evening before the flight; no further updated wx briefing was obtained. Current airmets called for, and pireps reported, inflight icing for the route and destination. The airplane was neither de-icing nor anti-icing equipped. Just before the apch clearance was issued to the pilot, another aircraft on the same frequency was issued a PIREP for moderate icing. A VOR apch to the original destination was initiated. The cloud ceiling was 500 ft below the minimum descent altitude. A missed approach was executed. The instructor radioed several times about encountering icing conditions and his inability to maintain altitude. ATC issued progressively lower altitudes, with a final emergency vectoring altitude of 2300 ft, based on their emergency obstruction video map (evom). Obstructions 2300 ft high were depicted in the area on the eovm. The airplane, with landing gear extended, impacted trees at 2000 ft elevation.

History of flight

On Monday, April 12, 1993, at about 0951 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA 32, N292SP, piloted by Robert Freeman, impacted trees in a wooded area, 10 miles south of the Cortland Chase Field, Cortland, New York. The airplane was destroyed. Both pilots and one passenger were fatally injured, and two passengers received minor injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.

The purpose of the flight was to conduct instrument training for the non instrument rated pilot, Ethel Karp, by a certified flight instructor, Robert Freeman, while returning three college students to Cortland, New York.

The flight instructor called Bridgeport Automated Flight Service (AFS) at 1613 on April 11, 1993, for a weather forecast for the next day. The AFS informed Mr. Freeman that the aviation forecast was only through 7:00 A.M. on the morning of the 12th. The AFS then provided the following:

"... the outlook after 7:00 A.M. at Bradley field ...marginal V.F.R. due to the ceiling with rain drizzle and fog...Ithaca New York it says marginal V.F.R. due to the ceilings, at Binghamton it says I.F.R. after 7:00 A.M. due to fog, becoming V.F.R. by 10:00 A.M." the AFS the stated to Mr. Freeman, :...you know you best bet is to ah check back after 8:00 o'clock tonight..." Mr. Freeman stated that, "... After 8:00 I'll talk, I'll try it then..."

Approximately 2 hours later, at 1821, a computer weather briefing was requested and received, through the Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS), for N292SP. At 2059, a second DUATS briefing was requested for N292SP.

A person contacted Bridgeport AFS, at 2131, and filed an instrument flight plan for N292SP. No weather was obtained during this telephone call.

On April 12, 1993, at 0754, N292SP was issued an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance by Groton Air Traffic Control Tower to Cortland, New York, and at 0801, N292SP departed form the Groton Airport. N292SP was issued a climb to 6,000 feet and remained at that altitude until the initial descent into Cortland, New York.

According to pilot reports, the tops of the clouds in the Ithaca, New York area, were 4,000 feet. The two surviving passengers stated that the enroute flight was conducted over the cloud layers.

The pilot of N292SP made contact with Binghamton TRACON and asked, "...are you V.F.R. right there sir." The radar controller replied, "ah negative we're showing measured ceiling five hundred overcast visibility one zero." N292SP then inquired , "ok any idea what's going on up at Cortland." The radar controller said, "november two sierra papa you contact AWOS (Automated Surface Observing System), at Cortland, on one three two point two five. N292SP read back the frequency change."

The Cortland ASOS records reported an 800 foot overcast ceiling until 0901, then lowering to 600 foot overcast. The visibility remained at 10 miles for both reports.

0908:00: N292SP advised approach control, "ah two sierra pop ah looks like we're going to have to prepare for a miss over to ah Ithaca do you have Ithaca's weather." The controller requested N292SP to "standby," and he contacted Elmira Approach Control via telephone to obtain the Ithaca weather. At 0910:11, the controller transmitted, "ah two sierra papa Ithaca weather estimated ceiling one thousand overcast visibility seven temperature three one dew point two niner wind three five zero at one zero altimeter two niner eight niner." The controller advised N292SP, "and november tow sierra papa your cleared to the Ithaca Airport via present position direct Binghamton VOR direct Cortland maintain six thousand." N292SP acknowledged the clearance.

0921:19: the controller instructed N292SP,"...turn right heading three one zero vector final approach course V.O.R. alpha into Cortland." N292SP acknowledged the heading. At 09222:23, the controller transmitted to the flight crew of another airplane inbound to Binghamton, "...have moderate rime ice reports four thousand to three thousand on final runway three four also light to moderate mixed icing three thousand to two thousand on final reported by a Beech nineteen hundred."

After several transmissions between the controller and N292SP, the controller instructed, "november two sierra papa descend and maintain four thousand;" followed by: "...present position ah correction fly present heading join the final approach course V.O.R. alpha into Cortland." At 0930:38, the controller issued N292SP the approach clearance, which was acknowledged.

0932:20: the controller provided a USAir flight, the icing PIREPS that he had provided earlier.

0935:35: the controller advised N292SP, "...show you over IILEN now radar service terminated...freq change to advisory frequency approved." N292SP responded, "changing the frequency two sierra pop."

0939:28: N292SP transmitted, "Binghamton approach ah Saratoga two sierra pops on the miss ah heading for CORTA." The controller acknowledged N292Sp, and transmitted, "...your cleared to the Ithaca airport via radar vectors turn right heading two zero zero vector to final approach course Ithaca maintain four thousand." N292SP acknowledged the altitude and received further instructions from the controller to squawk a transponder code and ident. At 0943:25, the controller instructed, "...contact Elmira one two four point three good day." N292SP acknowledged the frequency change.

0943:43: N292SP transmitted, "Elmira approach this is nine two sierra papa ah with you four thousand." The controller responded, "...fly heading two one zero vector to the I.L.S. final approach course runway three two at Ithaca standby for the weather." N292SP acknowledged the heading and at 0945:30 transmitted, "Elmira two sierra pop picking up some problems some ice ah can we have lower." The radar controller said, "november two sierra papa say again you're coming in weak." N292SP replied, "yeah we're picking up some prop ice ah can you get us lower." At 0945:51, the controller instructed N292SP, "...descend and maintain three thousand seven hundred." N292Sp replied, "three thousand seven hundred we're at three thousand five hundred two four zero." N292SP replied, " two four zero and can we expect lower we're getting a load of ice up here."

After several transmissions between the controller and N292Sp confirming the assigned heading, Elmira approach provided the Ithaca weather to N292SP at 0947:34, "...estimated ceiling five hundred broken seven hundred overcast visibility four fog wind three four zero at one one Ithaca altimeter two niner eight niner." N292SP replied, "two niner eight niner and ah can we expect to get lower soon." the controller said, "two sierra papa maintain three thousand six hundred that's as low as I can go right now you can expect lower in three miles." At 0948:00 N292SP transmitted, "roger we're having a hard time holding on to three three." The controller responded, " you need to maintain a mul...the ah the altitudes I give you can't just arbitrarily go lower."

0948:33: N292SP transmitted, "two sierra papa ah any way chance of lower." Three seconds later N292SP stated, " two sierra papa I need help." At 0948:42, the controller transmitted, " two sierra papa maintain three thousand one hundred." After an unintelligible transmission from N292SP, the controller transmitted, "three sierra papa descend and maintain two thousand three hundred this is an emergency vectoring altitude two thousand three hundred." N292SP responded, "two thousand three hundred here we go." N292SP then transmitted, "say again the heading you want us on." The controller replied, "fly heading two four zero." N292SP acknowledged the heading and at 0949:15, the controller advised, " november two sierra pa