Piper PA-23-250 N333EP

Summary

On 29 July 1990 at about 03:05 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N333EP, operated by Sharqi & Mohammad al-Sharqi, was involved in an accident near North Andover, Massachusetts, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 July 1990 at 03:05

Classification

Accident

Location

North Andover, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Lawrence Muni (LWM)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N333EP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Sharqi & Mohammad al-Sharqi

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kingston → Lawrence

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90FA176

3 people died.

THE CONTROLLER ISSUED AN UNAUTHORIZED ALTERNATE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE THAT DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE, AND THE PILOT DELAYED OBTAINING A PROPER RATE OF CLIMB DURING THE MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED A MISSED APPROACH, THE TOWER CONTROLLER ISSUED AN ALTERNATE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE AS INSTRUCTED BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER. SPECIFICALLY, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT '. . . FOR YOUR MISSED APPROACH TURN RIGHT HEADING 180 CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 2000.' THE PILOT EXECUTED THE CONTROLLER'S INSTRUCTIONS, TURNED RIGHT AND FLEW TOWARD RISING TERRAIN. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINES PRIOR TO IMPACT, BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE PILOT AGGRESSIVELY STARTED TO CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOPS OF 100 FT TALL TREES ABOUT 1/4 MI EAST OF THE AIRPORT AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE TERRAIN ROSE FROM AN ELEVATION OF 149 FT AT THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 5 TO ABOUT 200 FT AT THE CRASH SITE. THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE (THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE CONTROLLER) WAS NOT AUTHORIZED AS PER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MANUAL 7110.65.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.