Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Salem, OH
On April 16, 1994, a Piper PA-32R-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Salem, OH. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 16, 1994
- Place
- Salem, OH
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.899°N, 80.849°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X01038
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 16, 1994, at 0104 eastern daylight time, N8685C, a Piper PA-32R-300, operated by the owner/pilot, broke apart during an uncontrolled descent and was destroyed. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. There was no fire. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight originated from Elyria, Ohio, and was en route to Leesburg, Virginia. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot was with a friend one day prior to the accident on the morning of April 15, 1994. According to the pilot's friend, the pilot was observed on the telephone with an aircraft paint shop in Canada to verify the status of the pilot's airplane. The airplane had been previously flown to Canada several days earlier so that it could be repainted in preparation for a lease- back arrangement with a Michigan fixed-base operation near the pilot's home. The friend reported that the pilot then visited his office about 1230, then drove to the Berz-Macomb Airport in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, to check the weather for flying. Later in the afternoon, according to the pilot's friend, the pilot was picked up via automobile and taken to the Canadian paint shop so that the pilot could receive his airplane. The friend stated that the weather conditions prevented paint shop personnel from flying to Michigan and delivering the airplane to the pilot. The pilot took delivery of his airplane and flew it from Canada to the Romeo Airport in Romeo, Michigan, that same evening. The friend of the pilot spoke with the pilot's wife
Probable cause
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
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Browse: Ohio · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
