Piper PA-28-181 N8376N

Summary

On 29 May 1990 at about 05:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N8376N was involved in an accident near Rome, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 May 1990 at 05:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Rome, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.8495, -76.3401

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N8376N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elmira → Camden

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90FA117

1 person died.

AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF AN INSTRUMENT RATING, AND HIS DECISION TO MAKE THE FLIGHT AFTER RECEIVING THREE SEPARATE BRIEFINGS WHERE HE WAS TOLD 'VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED.'

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PILOT WAS FLYING FROM HAMILTON, CANADA, TO BERLIN, NJ AT NIGHT. HE STOPPED AT BUFFALO, NY AND RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING WITH VNR (VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED) DUE TO RAIN, LOW CLOUDS, AND FOG. HE DEPARTED VFR AND CONTACTED WILLIAMSPORT AFSS, RECEIVED AN EN ROUTE BRIEFING AND THEN MADE AN UNPLANNED STOP AT ELMIRA, NY. WHILE ON THE GROUND HE RECEIVED TWO ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS, BOTH WITH VNR. HE AGAIN DEPARTED VFR AND CONTACTED THE NY ARTCC FOR VFR ADVISORIES. HE SAID HE WAS AT 3200 FT, HOWEVER NY CENTER SAID 4200 FEET WAS THE MINIMUM RADAR VECOTRING ALTITUDE. HE FINALLY CLIMBED TO 4000 FT AND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 MINUTES. THE LAST FEW RADAR CONTACTS SHOWED A LEFT TURN APPROX TWICE STANDARD RATE. THE GROUND IMPACT SHOWED THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT TURN AT IMPACT. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED RAIN AND FOG. NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.