Piper PA32R-301 N707JS

Summary

On 28 November 1993 at about 21:10 local time, a Piper PA32R-301 registered N707JS, operated by Armstrong Telephone Co., was involved in an accident near Butler, 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

28 November 1993 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Butler, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Butler County (BTP)

Coordinates

40.7605, -80.0501

Aircraft

Piper PA32R-301

Registration

N707JS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Armstrong Telephone Co.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO94FA021

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE A FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PRIVATE PILOT, WITH TWO HOURS OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME ACCORDING TO HIS LOG BOOK, HAD DEPARTED UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. UPON HIS RETURN TO HIS DESTINATION, HE ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THERE WERE SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO HEARD THE AIRPLANE OVERFLY THEIR HOMES AT A LOW ALTITUDE. SOME OF THE WITNESSES STATED THAT IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE LOW VISIBILITY. THE PILOT CONTACTED PITTSBURGH APPROACH CONTROL AND WAS RECEIVING VECTORS FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 8 APPROACH WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. RADAR DATA OBTAINED FROM THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER SHOWED THE AIRPLANE MAKING SEVERAL CIRCLES. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A 50 FOOT TALL TREE BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.