The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight in the Ryan Navion.
The pilot’s friend reported that he provided weather information to the pilot about an hour before the flight. No record was found indicating that the pilot or the friend obtained a formal weather briefing before he departed for the night cross-country flight.
A review of weather information revealed that, about an hour and 20 minutes into the flight, as the airplane was nearing the destination airport, it encountered a strong cold front boundary with associated severe wind shear and turbulence.
Review of radar data revealed that, during the following 13 minutes, the flight completed numerous course deviations, including three complete left circuits and two right circuits, before hitting wooded terrain near New Gretna, New Jersey. The pilot died in the crash.
A review of the last three minutes of radar data revealed that the airplane’s altitude oscillated between 2,100′ and 200′ mean sea level (msl) as it completed the two right circuits and one of the left circuits before it hit terrain.
The last target was recorded about 2,000′ southeast of the accident site at an altitude of 525′ msl.
Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Based on the evidence, it is likely the airplane encountered wind shear and turbulent conditions upon encountering the strong cold front boundary and that the pilot subsequently lost airplane control.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight weather planning and in-flight weather evaluation, which resulted in an encounter with a strong cold front and the pilot’s subsequent loss of airplane control.
NTSB Identification: ERA17FA052
This November 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
onesh should have read ‘ones with’. Sorry about that.
What verse is this of the same old song??? Sarah A hit the nail on the head. Absolutely no excuse for this accident or probably 99% of the other weather related onesh the availability of access to the weather these days.
Ooops looks like only the ‘h’ came out of the word ‘with’.
With the ease of access to the internet, and thereby aviation weather, it is inexcusable these days to even start a local flight without a check of actual and forecast weather. Maybe it was checked via that route and it just left no trace so in that regard I am willing to concede that possibility. However if the inroute weather had been checked the poor conditions would have been known and that makes it inexcusable PERIOD! If you can afford the aircraft you should be able to afford an iPad or iPhone with access to weather and Flight Plans! At least he did not take any innocent passengers along on his final flight.
Anyone taking ANY long cross country flight, especially one at night not filing a flight plan AND calling WXBRIEF deserves their fate.
No one deserves such a fate but I do not have any sympathy for their untimely demise.
The full report indicates the friend obtained a weather briefing for both routes and advised the accident pilot of the forecast for deteriorating weather near his destination. Additionally the route was plotted on the accident pilot’s IPad which overlaid weather information. However regarding the briefing, flight service had no record of the briefings. But this is now common with pilots using many other websites for briefings. With regard to the IPad weather, no subscription was found for this service. Still it sounds like an effort was made for weather information and there was an awareness of the bad weather. To me it sounds like ‘get-home-itis’ reared it ugly head again on this one.