Lowe SUPER KOALA accident near Perry Township, PA
On March 30, 1997, a Lowe SUPER KOALA (airplane) was involved in an accident near Perry Township, PA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 30, 1997
- Place
- Perry Township, PA
- Aircraft
- Lowe SUPER KOALA · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.550°N, 75.980°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07621
NTSB summary
On March 30, 1997, at 1520 eastern standard time, a homebuilt airplane, N4424V, was substantially damaged when it struck the ground during a descending spin, about 1 mile east of a private airstrip in Perry Township, Pennsylvania. The certificate commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at the private strip, about 1500. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a witness, he observed the pilot perform takeoffs and landings at the private strip, prior to the accident flight. After the last landing, the pilot appeared to refuel the airplane, and then departed with a passenger. About 20 minutes later, the witness heard an airplane's engine "power up," and turned to observe the airplane in a descending spin, about 2,000 feet above the ground. After about two to three spins, the engine sound decreased, and the airplane continued to spin until it struck the ground. Another witness outside of his home stated that he heard an airplane flying over. When he heard a "sharp snap," he looked in the direction of the airplane. He estimated that the airplane was about 1,500 to 2,500 feet above the ground, and descending in a wide, "swirling" motion, counter clockwise. The airplane came to rest about 2,000 feet from his residence. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector's report, examination of the airplane's engine revealed clean spark plugs, and compression in both cylinders when the propeller was rotated. Fuel was obse
Probable cause
improper construction by the builder which led to the failure of the strut and wing assembly.
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
- Boeing 757, Sep 11, 2001
- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
- Beech A36, Jul 30, 1989
Browse: Pennsylvania
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
