Piper PA-16 accident near Hardeeville, SC
On April 12, 1999, a Piper PA-16 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hardeeville, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 12, 1999
- Place
- Hardeeville, SC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-16 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.270°N, 81.070°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001205X00517
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 12, 1999, about 1410 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-16, N5796H, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while descending to a lower altitude attempting to avoid the pilot's reported clear air turbulence near Hardeeville, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the private-rated pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from St. Simon's Island, Georgia, about 1 hour before the accident. The flight had just completed transiting Savannah's Class C airspace under radar control and had been handed off to Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station Approach Control Radar for the transit through their military operating area when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that turbulence was "pretty bad" at his assigned altitude of 5,500 feet msl, and he requested a lower altitude. The controller had to give the pilot a left turn because of conflicting traffic at 12 o'clock and 4 miles, opposite direction, at 4,000 feet msl. N5796H was observed to start the left turn, the pilot transmitted conditions were now severe turbulence, and the radar ceased showing a return at 1409. The sequence of events was confirmed during the radar facility's playback of the audio/video tapes of the radar controller's scope picture and communications with N5796H. Jasper County Sheriff's Department personnel found the wreckage about 0210 the next morning. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Information on the pilot is contained in this report
Probable cause
An inflight loss of control for undetermined reasons while in a descent and the subsequent collision with the terrain.
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Browse: South 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.
