Crash of N3381W

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Note: N3381W refers to the aircraft registration symbol for this aircraft.

N3381W, a single-engine general aviation Piper Cherokee Six crashed into the radio tower shared by WCBS-AM and WNBC-AM (which are now under common ownership) on High Island, New York, in the United States, on August 27, 1967. All six people on board, including the pilot, were killed in the crash. The crash destroyed the antenna tower just hours before CBS Chairman William S. Paley debuted his highly-successful all-news format that would later become known as "Newsradio 88".

According to the New York Times and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the accident, Peter Barris, a private pilot with 60 hours of piloting experience, took the aircraft from LaGuardia Airport in New York City without authorization after the aircraft rental company had grounded its fleet for bad weather in the area. After landing successfully at East Hampton Airport on Long Island, Barris attempted to return to LaGuardia Airport with five passengers.

As forecasted, the area around LaGuardia airport was affected by low ceilings, low visibility and torrential rain. Because Barris was not instrument rated, these conditions were illegal for him to fly in because they did not meet the requirements of visual meteorological conditions. Circling near LaGuardia airport, the aircraft collided with the 541-foot (165-meter) radio tower, and then plunged into Long Island Sound and sank, killing all aboard.

The NTSB's investigation found the probable cause of the accident to be the non-instrument-rated pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to see and avoid the radio tower.

References

[NTSB report] for the crash of N3381W.
New York Times [articles] about the crash (scroll down to 2 Killed as Plane Hits Radio Tower in Rainstorm Here)
[Recollections] of an employee at the site
[Recollections] from another WCBS employee at the time.

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