Piper PA-28 accident near Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1989
On March 5, 1989 at about 9:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N5348S, was destroyed in an accident near Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania (Pottstown Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE STUDENT PILOT BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, AND HIS VFR FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WITHOUT THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATION OR TRAINING. FACTORS FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES, HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING, DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, RISING TERRAIN, TREES, AND FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER TO USE A SEAT BELT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1989 · about 9:00 am local time
- Place
- Douglas Twsp, Pennsylvania · Pottstown Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N5348S · no longer on the register · serial 28-26770
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A STUDENT PLT & PASSENGER TOOK OFF AT NIGHT IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH LOW CEILINGS, FOG & RAIN. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT FLY OVERHEAD, VERIFIED THE CEILING WAS VERY LOW & THAT RAIN WAS FALLING, SOMETIMES HEAVILY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT AS IT FLEW INTO TREES ON ABOUT 5 DEG RISING TERRAIN. THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED, BUT THE PLT WALKED TO A ROADWAY & WAS HELPED. THE ACFT WAS OWNED BY THE STUDENT PLT'S FATHER, WHO SAID HE TOOK IT WITHOUT PERMISSION. BEFORE FLYING, BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT WERE SEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. FOUR HRS AFTER THE ACDNT, BLOOD WAS DRAWN FROM THE PLT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.075% (75 MG/DL). A CHECK OF THE PASSENGER'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.085% (85 MG/DL). POLICE RPRTD THE PASSENGER WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1988; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N47 Pottstown PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 am from NXX, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.