Piper PA-28 N5348S

Summary

On 5 March 1989 at about 09:00 local time, a Piper PA-28 registered N5348S, operated by Thomas V. Davis, was involved in an accident near Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 March 1989 at 09:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Pottstown Muni (N47)

Coordinates

40.2596, -75.7394

Aircraft

Piper PA-28

Registration

N5348S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas V. Davis

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pottstown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC89FA095

1 person died.

POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, AND HIS VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WITHOUT THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATION OR TRAINING. FACTORS FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES, HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING, DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, RISING TERRAIN, TREES, AND FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER TO USE A SEAT BELT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A STUDENT PLT & PASSENGER TOOK OFF AT NIGHT IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH LOW CEILINGS, FOG & RAIN. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT FLY OVERHEAD, VERIFIED THE CEILING WAS VERY LOW & THAT RAIN WAS FALLING, SOMETIMES HEAVILY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AS IT FLEW INTO TREES ON ABOUT 5 DEG RISING TERRAIN. THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED, BUT THE PLT WALKED TO A ROADWAY & WAS HELPED. THE ACFT WAS OWNED BY THE STUDENT PLT'S FATHER, WHO SAID HE TOOK IT WITHOUT PERMISSION. BEFORE FLYING, BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT WERE SEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. FOUR HRS AFTER THE ACDNT, BLOOD WAS DRAWN FROM THE PLT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.075% (75 MG/DL). A CHECK OF THE PASSENGER'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.085% (85 MG/DL). POLICE RPRTD THE PASSENGER WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.