NTSB NYC91FA080 — 1991-03-03 · WEST BROOKFIELD, Massachusetts, United States

N77Y has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (GLOBE GC-1B, built 1946), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N77Y Beech F-33A Serious

Probable cause & findings

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.

Factual 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_NYC91FA080.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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