Piper PA-46-350P accident near Raleigh, NC
On December 13, 2001, a Piper PA-46-350P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Raleigh, NC. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 13, 2001
- Place
- Raleigh, NC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.874°N, 78.747°W
- NTSB ID
- 20011218X02406
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 12, 2001, about 1904 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-46-350P, N41003, operated by M&M Aero LLC, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight impacted with a private home in a residential area about 2 miles southeast of the Raleigh/Durham International (RDU) Airport, Raleigh, North Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private rated-pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. There were no injuries on the ground. The flight had originated from the Dothan, Alabama Airport, at 1648 (1548 central standard time). At 1358, central standard time (CST), the pilot contacted the Anniston AFSS (Automated Flight Service Station), Flight Data position to file an IFR flight plan, and received a standard weather briefing from Dothan, to RDU. The pilot estimated the time en route to be about 2 hours 15 minutes, and 7 hours of fuel on board. The pilot was told there was an AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information Network) for IFR across the entire route, and "low IFR" basically the current condition at Dothan. He was told that the RDU forecast was; "…winds [at] zero six zero [060 degrees] at three, half a mile fog overcast two hundred with occasional two miles mist overcast eight hundred...valid till twelve hundred Zulu [0800]." He was told that RDU was expecting "...half a mile fog and overcast two hundred...about a forty percent probability it may go to 2 miles with mist overcast 800." The specialist said, "...I'll be real honest with you I doubt y
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation, while performing a missed approach, resulting in an uncontrolled descent, and subsequent impact with a tree and a house. Factors in this accident were dark night, fog, drizzle, the pilot's lack of total instrument time, and his lack of total experience in this type of aircraft.
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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.
