Beechcraft F-33A N77Y

Summary

On 4 March 1991 at about 00:30 local time, a Beechcraft F-33A registered N77Y, operated by Stephen Grady, was involved in an accident near West Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1991 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

West Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Palmer Metropolitan (PMX)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft F-33A

Registration

N77Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stephen Grady

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nantucket → Palmer

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC91FA080

2 people were seriously injured.

THE DECISION OF THE PILOT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE IN CONDITIONS THAT PREVENTED HIM FROM SEEING AND AVOIDING HIGHER TERRAIN. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S DECISION TO NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH INTO PALMER, AND THE REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO RAIN, FOG AND NIGHT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES ON UNLIGHTED, RISING TERRAIN AFTER FLYING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO TONE AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTING TO PROCEED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED 700 FEET BELOW APPROACH MINIMUMS AND 6 MILES AWAY FROM THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH AIRPORT AT NIGHT WITH RAIN AND LOW CLOUDS PRESENT. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE OPERATING BELOW THE MINIMUM ALTITUDES FOR THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND NOT FOLLOWING THE PUBLISHED APPROACH PROCEDURE. THE PILOT SAID HE DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO THE FIRST AIRPORT AND IN THE PROGRESS THE AIRPLANE STRUCK RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.