Piper PA-60-600 accident near New Bern, NC
On November 9, 1996, a Piper PA-60-600 (airplane) was involved in an accident near New Bern, NC. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 9, 1996
- Place
- New Bern, NC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-600 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.110°N, 77.069°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07088
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 9, 1996, about 1139 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-60-600, N8239J, registered to a private individual, collided with terrain about 3 nautical miles south-southwest of the Craven County Regional Airport, New Bern, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The private-rated pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated about 1119 from the Craven County Regional Airport. According to the pilot's wife the purpose of the flight was a local pleasure flight. The flight service station (FSS) on the airport recorded that at 1115, the pilot advised that the flight was taxiing and at 1119, he advised that the flight was departing runway 22. According to a witness located about 300 yards from the crash site, he observed the airplane flying about 100 feet above the treetops toward the direction of the airport then observed the airplane in a vertical descent spinning to the right. He then lost sight of the airplane behind trees and heard the impact. Another witness first heard the engine rpm's increase, what he thought was the airplane descending then thought by the change in engine sound that the airplane began climbing. He then looked up and saw the airplane flying over his position about 300 feet above the treetops. The airplane was flying eastbound with the landing gear retracted. The airplane then began a climbing right turn during which he observed the wings wobbling. He further stated that the engines sounded normal during the ti
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VMC). Contributing to the accident was his lack of total experience in kind of aircraft.
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Browse: North Carolina · 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.
