Piper PA-31-310 N777HM

Summary

On 1 March 1998 at about 08:52 local time, a Piper PA-31-310 registered N777HM, operated by Bird Air Fleet, was involved in an accident near Presque Isle, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 1998 at 08:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Presque Isle, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Presque Isle (PQI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-310

Registration

N777HM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Bird Air Fleet

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bangor → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC98FA071

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure and his descent below the minimum descent altitude. Contributing factors were the night conditions, low ceilings, and fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a night VOR/DME approach during which instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was equipped with VOR, LORAN, and R-NAV receivers. There were two step-downs fixes on the approach. At 13 DME the minimum altitude was 1,800 feet. At 10 DME the minimum altitude was 1,040 feet. The missed approach point was at 6 DME, and the VOR/DME transmitter was located 5.5 miles beyond the airport. Radar data revealed a descent profile based upon distances from the end of the runway, rather than DME from the VOR. The airplane reached an altitude of 1,000 feet when it was 13.52 miles from the VOR, and 7.58 miles from the approach end of the runway. It subsequently impacted rising terrain at an altitude of about 900 feet, about 11.5 miles from the VOR, and 5.5 miles from the approach end of the runway. Impact damage and a post-crash fire precluded a check of the radio set up at the time of the accident. According to FAR 135 a pilot-in-command was required to have 1,200 hours total time. The investigation documented the pilot's total time as about 1,057 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.