Cirrus SR20 N108GD

Summary

On 21 November 2007 at about 06:45 local time, a Cirrus SR20 registered N108GD was involved in an accident near New Windsor, New York, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 November 2007 at 06:45

Classification

Accident

Location

New Windsor, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Stewart International (SWF)

Coordinates

41.4914, -74.1689

Aircraft

Cirrus SR20

Registration

N108GD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lynchburg → Newburgh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC08FA041

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath during an instrument-landing-system approach in fog. Contributing to the accident were pilot fatigue and air traffic control's failure to issue a minimum safe altitude warning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting his second instrument landing system approach in night instrument meteorological conditions, below the published approach weather minimums (which were not a regulatory limit for the flight) when the accident happened. After the first approach resulted in a missed approach, the pilot reported that he established the airplane on the localizer course and that the airplane was then cleared to land, which the pilot acknowledged. No further transmissions were received from the accident airplane, which impacted trees and uneven terrain about 2 miles from the approach end of the runway. The pilot did not survive, but both passengers did. The passengers stated that the airplane was flying in foggy conditions; however, the flight seemed normal until the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions. The pilot woke up about 19 hours prior to the accident and the investigation revealed that he did not sleep between the start of his day and the accident. The pilot was not issued a minimum safe altitude warning (MSAW) by air traffic control because the radar sensor being used to track the airplane did not provide sufficient coverage to trigger an MSAW alarm. A different system was available to the controller that if selected would have sounded an MSAW.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.