- Date
- June 6, 1997, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Walton, NY
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N38758Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970606047209A
- Case key
- 39368
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 improper inflight decision to establish an approach without confirming the landing area, and his delayed go-around, which resulted in the inflight collision with trees.
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 and two passengers arrived at their destination airport after a 1 hour flight. The pilot established a final approach to the runway 26, decided that he was too high to land, and performed a go-around. The runway length was 2300 feet. He established a right turn to depart the area, and then 'thought' he saw the airport. He established a second approach and realized that it was not the airport. The pilot initiated a climb out straight ahead, and decided that he did not have enough turning room left or right, and the rising terrain was beyond the climb capability of airplane. The pilot retracted the flaps gradually during climb and the airplane began to sink. With the stall warning on, the pilot selected and flew the airplane into a tall pine tree. The airplane then descended through trees and came to a stop on the ground. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1997, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N38758, was destroyed during a collision with terrain and post crash fire near Walton, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Caldwell, New Jersey, about 1400. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that the 1 hour flight to Walton was uneventful. The pilot established a final approach to runway 26, decided that he was too high to land, and performed a go-around. He established a right turn to depart the area, and further stated:
"...thought I saw airport. Started second approach and realized this was not airport. Started to climb out straight ahead. Had no turning room left or right, and rising terrain was beyond climb capability of aircraft. Retracted flaps gradually during climb and began to sink...I could not out climb the hill, airspeed was 60 kts IAS, stall warning was activated. I chose a tall pine tree to soften the controlled impact. Descended through trees and came to sudden stop on ground..."
The pilot indicated in the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 , there was no mechanical problem with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38758
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287790583
- Airframe hours
- 4,760
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Freedom Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- CDW · Caldwell, NJ
- Destination
- 2NK7
- Airport
- NONE · Walton, runway 26, 2,300 × 50 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 995 total · 650 in this make and model · 890 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BGM, 45 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.