Controlled Flight Into Terrain · NTSB ERA09FA116
PIPER PA-28-140 — Pittstown, NJ
| Date | December 31, 2008 |
| Location | Pittstown, NJ |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-28-140 |
| Purpose of flight | Instructional |
| Conditions | Night · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-VFR pattern final Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 56 |
| Pilot total time | 643 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 413 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Instructor/check pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Dark-Effect on operation
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on operation
What happened
The pilot and the flight instructor were performing a training flight toward the pilot's instrument rating and the pilot was attempting to regain night currency. After 15 minutes of flying, the pilot returned to the departure airport, which was also where the flight instructor was based. The pilot flew a practice instrument approach before entering the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing and recalled being about 100 feet below the published traffic pattern altitude. Though the pilot could only recall turning onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, the airplane struck trees aligned with the final approach course about 1/4 mile from the runway threshold. The trees in the vicinity of the accident site are about 150 feet tall. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical deficiencies, nor were any reported by the pilot.