Piper PA-24-180 N5007P

Summary

On 9 August 1991 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-180 registered N5007P, operated by Joseph J. Duffy, was involved in an accident near Muncie Valley, 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

9 August 1991 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Muncie Valley, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.2003, -76.7801

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-180

Registration

N5007P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Joseph J. Duffy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilkes-Barre → Fort Wayne

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC91FA097

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL FLIGHT INTO KNOWN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH TREES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PRE-FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM EN ROUTE ALTITUDE ON HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING. HE DEPARTED VFR DURING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE FLEW A VOR AIRWAY AT AN ALTITUDE 2000 FEET BELOW THE PUBLISHED MINIMUM EN ROUTE ALTITUDE FOR THAT ROUTE. THE PILOT HAD AN INSTRUMENT RATING, BUT HE HAD A TOTAL ACTUAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME OF 10 HOURS AND 6 APPROACHES. HE DID NOT FILE AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE WEATHER ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES AND REPORTING FACILITIES AS LOW CEILINGS, RESTRICTED VISIBILITY AND RAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.