Piper PA-32R-300 N38389

Summary

On 19 January 1990 at about 00:00 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N38389, operated by Air East, was involved in an accident near Great Barrngton, Massachusetts, United States. 6 people were on board and 2 died, 3 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 1990 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Great Barrngton, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Great Barrington (GBR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N38389

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air East

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Pittsfield,

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90FA051

2 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE AND CLEARANCE FROM TREES WHILE DEPARTING FROM THE AIRPORT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND BALANCE TO BE EXCEEDED, DARKNESS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT AND FIVE PASSENGERS FLEW TO THE GREAT BARRINGTON AIRPORT TO NIGHT SKI AT A NEARBY AREA. AFTER ARRIVAL, THEY LEARNED THAT THE SKI FACILITY WAS CLOSED. THEY DECIDED TO FLY TO PITTSFIELD, MA, WHERE SKI AREAS WERE OPEN. WHILE DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 29, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 60 FT TREE, 493 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL, HIT OTHER TREES AND CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT'S GROSS WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 3868 LBS; ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS CALCULATED TO BE 95.71 INCHES. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT WAS 3500 LBS AND ITS MAXIMUM AFT CG LIMIT WAS 95 INCHES. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST FLIGHT TO THIS AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.