Piper PA-28-180 N1279T

Summary

On 25 July 2011 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N1279T, operated by N1279T LLC, was involved in an accident near Berne, New York, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 2011 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Berne, New York, United States

Coordinates

42.6244, -74.0225

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N1279T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

N1279T LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rome → Albany

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11FA422

1 person died.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and rising terrain while attempting to reverse course. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed without filing a flight plan or obtaining a weather briefing. Witnesses near the accident site described hearing an airplane “low to the ground” as it approached them. They said it was in a left-wing-low attitude just prior to striking trees and disappearing from view. One witness said that the engine was “really loud” and that the airplane appeared just above the trees and just beneath the clouds that were “right on top of the trees." The airplane struck trees and rising terrain traveling opposite the intended direction of flight. The pilot of a police helicopter dispatched to the scene immediately after the accident reported that he chose to abort the mission about 1/4 mile before reaching the crash site due to weather conditions. He stated that he was unable to access a position directly over the scene due to rising terrain and low clouds. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.