ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37299
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| Date: | Sunday 19 April 1998 |
| Time: | 23:23 LT |
| Type: |  Mooney M20J |
| Owner/operator: | Charles T Gunzburg |
| Registration: | N40HL |
| MSN: | 24-3318 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1993 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bridgeport, CT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Newport News, VA |
| Farmingdale, NY (FRG | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed Florida and made a fuel stop in Virginia. Later during a night precision instrument approach under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to Farmingdale, New York, the airplane struck trees. The pilot executed a missed approach that did not comply with published procedures, and was then offered several alternate airports, some under visual meteorological conditions. The pilot chose a divert airport which was IMC, and for which he did not have the precision approach charts. The approach information was provided by air traffic control. During the approach, the pilot was advised by the tower controller that his landing lights could be seen over the approach end of the runway as the airplane was 'going back into the clouds.' The airplane was next observed well left of the runway. The pilot was asked his altitude and he responded '300 feet.' The tower controller gave the pilot a vector and told him to contact approach control, and the airplane disappeared into the clouds again. The airplane then exited the base of the clouds in a right descending turn and struck the ground. Weather conditions immediately before and after the accident at Bridgeport were reported in part as 400 foot overcast, rain and visibility of 2 to 3 miles. Radar data revealed erratic altitudes on the glideslope and during vectors. The accident airport did not have an approach lighting system to the precision approach runway. In January 1995, the Safety Board issued a recommendation to install an approach lighting system to that runway 'as soon as possible.'
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing factors were dark night conditions, low ceilings, rain, and his decision to divert to an airport under instrument meteorological conditions when visual meteorological conditions existed at other airports.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC98FA095
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Apr-2024 13:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
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