Piper PA-32R-300 N1028Q

Summary

On 23 November 1989 at about 04:05 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N1028Q, operated by A & G Air of N.j., Inc., was involved in an accident near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 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

23 November 1989 at 04:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Johnstown Cambria County (JST)

Coordinates

40.3596, -78.8703

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N1028Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

A & G Air of N.j., Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairfield → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC90LA032

2 people were seriously injured.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE ON AN ILS FINAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND BELOW THE GLIDE PATH AND COLLIDE WITH APPROACH LIGHTING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S DECISION TO FLY IN KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER (ICING) CONDITIONS, AND STRUCTURAL ICING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT THE WX WAS: 300' OVC, VIS 3 MI WITH FRZG RAIN, LGT DRZL & LGT SNOW. HE INITIATED AN ILS RWY 33 APCH & ENCTRD TURBC. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A MISSED APCH & FLEW BACK FOR A 2ND APCH. ON THE 2ND APCH, HE ENCTRD TURBC AGAIN, THEN NOTICED THE ACFT WAS LOSING SPEED. THE PLT SAID HE APPLIED FULL POWER & THAT WAS THE LAST THING HE COULD REMEMBER. THE ACFT CRASHED WHEN IT STRUCK APCH LGTS ABOUT 600' SHORT OF THE RWY. WHEN THE ACFT WAS EXAMINED THE NEXT DAY, AIRFRAME ICE WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE LEADING EDGE & LOWER SFC OF THE WINGS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. DRG A WX BRIEFING BEFORE THE FLT, THE PLT HAD BEEN GIVEN ADVISORIES FOR SNOW & LGT TO MOD RIME ICING CONDITIONS. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICG CONDS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.