Piper AEROSTAR 602P N700DJ

Summary

On 4 October 2002 at about 02:33 local time, a Piper AEROSTAR 602P registered N700DJ was involved in an accident near Bradford, 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

4 October 2002 at 02:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Bradford Regional Airport (BFD)

Coordinates

41.7506, -78.5678

Aircraft

Piper AEROSTAR 602P

Registration

N700DJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Evansville → Bradford

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

IAD03FA001

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure, which resulted in an early descent into trees and terrain. A factor was the night, instrument meteorological conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot attempted an ILS approach during night, instrument meteorological conditions. The inbound course was 322 degrees magnetic, and the glideslope outer marker crossing altitude was 3,333 feet msl. The decision altitude was 2,370 feet msl and the airport elevation was 2,143 feet msl. A wreckage path, about 370 feet in length, along a track 320 degrees magnetic, commenced with a tree strike about 300 feet southeast of the outer marker, at an elevation of about 2,200 feet msl. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.