Piper PA-24-260 accident near Andrews, NC
On March 15, 1997, a Piper PA-24-260 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Andrews, NC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 15, 1997
- Place
- Andrews, NC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.190°N, 83.820°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07592
Official records · MIA97FA097
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 14, 1997, about 2041 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-260, N8857P, registered to a private individual, crashed into the Joanna Bald Mountain about 3 nautical miles north-northeast of the Andrews-Murphy Airport, Andrews, North Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated about 1954, from the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. According to a transcript of Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications with the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), after departure about 2006.37, the pilot requested that the destination in his IFR flight clearance be changed to the Andrews-Murphy (6A3) airport. The route of flight requested was direct to the Harris VORTAC then direct to the 6A3 airport. The clearance was granted and the aircraft was cleared to climb to 7,000 feet at the request of the pilot. At 2027.30, the pilot asked the controller what the minimum en route altitude (MEA) was to which the controller responded 7,000 feet. The controller then asked the pilot if he was familiar with cruise clearances to which the pilot responded affirmative but the flight was currently on top of an overcast layer. The controller then advised the pilot that the lowest altitude approved for that area was 7,000 feet to which the pilot responded, "ok we'll just keep going until we get over the a
Probable cause
The pilot's poor in-flight planning in attempting to maintain VFR conditions at night over mountainous terrain, and his failure to maintain clearance from the mountain. Contributing to the accident was: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning for not obtaining a formal weather briefing, and his self-induced pressure to arrive before a specific time for the start of a planned event.
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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.
