Investigation Summary
The flight originated from Teterboro, New Jersey, under an IFR flight plan. As the aircraft approached Charlotte, the pilot transitioned to a VFR traffic pattern. Air traffic control initially noted the aircraft was significantly higher and faster than standard for the approach to Runway 18. The pilot, expressing confidence that he could lose the altitude, requested a circling maneuver to land on Runway 36R instead. The wind at the time was 150 degrees at 7 knots, meaning the pilot was requesting a tailwind landing or a tight circling maneuver to align with the opposite runway. During the base-to-final transition, the pilot maintained excessive speed and performed an aggressive descending turn. The NTSB investigation characterized the pilot's actions as an 'ostentatious display' and cited overconfidence in personal ability as a primary factor in the loss of control and subsequent collision with ground obstacles.
Final Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause to be the pilot's poor in-flight planning, judgment, and decision-making. Specifically, the pilot engaged in an ostentatious display of aircraft performance, failed to maintain proper altitude, and exceeded a safe rate of descent during an improper maneuver. Contributing to the accident were the dark night conditions and the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Held Commercial and Flight Instructor certificates.
Systems & Failure Modes
Powerplant
The aircraft was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 turboprop engines, each rated at 720 horsepower.
Interesting Facts
- 01The pilot had 9,000 total flight hours, including 1,000 hours in the Piper PA-42.
- 02The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces; there was no post-crash fire.
- 03The accident occurred at night under Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).
- 04The aircraft had undergone a 100-hour inspection only 51 flight hours prior to the accident.
- 05The flight was conducted as a non-scheduled on-demand air taxi operation under 14 CFR Part 135.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Pilot Judgment and Professionalism
Source ↗The NTSB highlighted the dangers of 'ostentatious display' and overconfidence in personal ability, emphasizing that even highly experienced pilots (the captain had 9,000 hours) must adhere to stabilized approach criteria and avoid high-risk maneuvers for the sake of performance demonstration.
Location
NO VERIFIED COORDINATES · This position predates coordinate provenance tracking. Treat it as an approximate marker for the area, not the accident site. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.
Reported location: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States