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May 18, 1985 · Piper PA-31-350 · N66892

Latrobe, PA

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 18, 1985
Injury Outcomes
7 injuries (5 serious injuries, 2 minor injuries)
Location
Latrobe, PA
Aircraft
Piper PA-31-350
Tail Number
N66892
Operator
Cumberland Airlines
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
NYC85FA125

DRG AN IFR ARRIVAL, THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR AN NDB RWY 23 APCH TO THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY ARPT. AT THE NDB FINAL APCH FIX (8.1 MI FROM THE RWY), THE CREW TURNED INBOUND & CONTD TO THE ARPT. THEY CONTACTED THE TOWER & REPORTED OVER THE ILS OUTER MARKER (AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON THE NDB FINAL APCH, 3.9 MI FROM THE RWY). THE TOWER ISSUED THE LOCAL LANDING ADVISORIES & CLEARED THE ACFT TO LAND. MOMENTS AFTER THE COPLT ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THEY WERE 15 SEC FROM THE MISSED APCH PT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES. IMPACT OCCURRED 3.8 MI SE OF THE ARPT AT THE MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) OF 1900 FT MSL. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT RECORDS INDICATED A RECURRING & CURRENT SQUAWK CONCERNING THE HSI SLAVING SYS. JUST BEFORE BEGINNINGTHE APCH, THE LATROBE WIND HAD CHANGED FROM 230 DEG AT 4 KTS (A HEADWIND) TO A STRONG QUARTERING TAIL WIND. DRG ARRIVAL THE CREW WERE ADVISED THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEG AT 18 KTS. THEY HAD FIGURED THEIR TIMING TO THE MISSED APCH PT BY USING A GND SPEED OF 120 KTS. EARLIER THAT DAY, THE SAME CREW & ACFT HAD TERMINATED THE SAME NDB APCH, 1 MI EAST OF THE ARPT.

Full Narrative

DRG AN IFR ARRIVAL, THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR AN NDB RWY 23 APCH TO THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY ARPT. AT THE NDB FINAL APCH FIX (8.1 MI FROM THE RWY), THE CREW TURNED INBOUND & CONTD TO THE ARPT. THEY CONTACTED THE TOWER & REPORTED OVER THE ILS OUTER MARKER (AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON THE NDB FINAL APCH, 3.9 MI FROM THE RWY). THE TOWER ISSUED THE LOCAL LANDING ADVISORIES & CLEARED THE ACFT TO LAND. MOMENTS AFTER THE COPLT ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THEY WERE 15 SEC FROM THE MISSED APCH PT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES. IMPACT OCCURRED 3.8 MI SE OF THE ARPT AT THE MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) OF 1900 FT MSL. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT RECORDS INDICATED A RECURRING & CURRENT SQUAWK CONCERNING THE HSI SLAVING SYS. JUST BEFORE BEGINNINGTHE APCH, THE LATROBE WIND HAD CHANGED FROM 230 DEG AT 4 KTS (A HEADWIND) TO A STRONG QUARTERING TAIL WIND. DRG ARRIVAL THE CREW WERE ADVISED THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEG AT 18 KTS. THEY HAD FIGURED THEIR TIMING TO THE MISSED APCH PT BY USING A GND SPEED OF 120 KTS. EARLIER THAT DAY, THE SAME CREW & ACFT HAD TERMINATED THE SAME NDB APCH, 1 MI EAST OF THE ARPT.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time20:20 EDT
Nearest AirportWestmoreland County (4nm SSE)
Runway23
Runway Length5501 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-31-350
Tail NumberN66892
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
OperatorCumberland Airlines
Operating RulePart 135
Engines2
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · TIO-540-J2BD · Reciprocating · 350
Seats10

People & Injuries

Injury Summary7 injuries (5 serious injuries, 2 minor injuries)
Fatal0
Serious5
Minor2
Uninjured0
Total7
Crew 1Age 32 · First Class

Conditions

ConditionsIMC
LightDusk
Wind340° @ 18 kt
Visibility4 sm
CeilingBroken clouds 800 ft
Temperature / Dew Point57 / 0 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time23:45
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data