Piper 601P accident near Martinsburg, PA
On June 10, 1998, a Piper 601P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Martinsburg, PA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 10, 1998
- Place
- Martinsburg, PA
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.311°N, 78.319°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10395
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 10, 1998, about 1304 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-601P, N60721, was destroyed when it impacted terrain after takeoff from the Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO), Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed AOO about 1300, destined for Syracuse, New York. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. At 1113, the pilot telephoned the Altoona Flight Service Station, and obtained a weather briefing for the flight. At 1252, the pilot called the Altoona FSS by radio and requested airport advisories, and his IFR clearance. At 1300, the pilot radioed that he was departing runway 20. There were no further radio transmissions received from the airplane. In a written statement, a witness who was at AOO said: "...I heard the aircraft takeoff but I did not look out to see which runway he used. Shortly after takeoff (1 to 2 minutes) I heard what sounded like 6 to 8 power changes. The power changes sounded smooth and deliberate....I walked outside. While looking in the direction of the sound for what seemed like several seconds, I saw the aircraft come out of the clouds pointed straight down spinning slowly in a clockwise direction. It went out of my sight and I saw a bright light and smoke come up from behind the grade...." In a telephone interview, a witness who lived about 1 mile south of the airport stated she was in her car when she heard the sound
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor in the accident was the low ceiling.
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Browse: Pennsylvania · 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.
