Piper PA-24-250 accident near Bluffton, OH
On July 30, 2000, a Piper PA-24-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bluffton, OH. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 30, 2000
- Place
- Bluffton, OH
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.890°N, 83.879°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21479
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 30, 2000, at 1426 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5271P, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while on final approach for Runway 23 at Bluffton Airport (5G7), Bluffton, Ohio. The certificated private pilot/owner was fatally injured. The flight originated at Whittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at an undetermined time destined for 5G7. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An airport employee was working at 5G7 when the pilot announced his approach to the airport. In a written statement, the employee said: "Around 2:10 PM on July 30, 2000, an airplane approaching the Bluffton Airport made a radio call asking what runway was being used. I reported back to the pilot that we were using Runway 23 and the winds were directly out of the southwest at 10-15 knots. The pilot confirmed that we were using Runway 23. He ended with the call sign of his airplane, N5271P, and he did stutter when saying his call sign. Approximately 2:25 PM, a van pulled up to the front of the airport and the driver got out and told me that an airplane had just crashed north of the airport. He reported that there were people and cars around the crash. The pilot did not make a distress call of any kind and all radio transmissions made were perfectly normal (nothing out of the ordinary)." In a written statement, a witness said: "Observed plane making glide path to the airport. Plane abruptly banked right and into dive straight down. Altitude was 300-500 fee
Probable cause
Pilot's improper fuel calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Also causal, was his abrupt maneuver during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
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Browse: Ohio · 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.
