Piper PA-24-250 accident near Micanopy, FL
On January 13, 2002, a Piper PA-24-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Micanopy, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 13, 2002
- Place
- Micanopy, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.432°N, 82.350°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020122X00091
Official records · MIA02FA049
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 13, 2002, about 0049 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8263P, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in Micanopy, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot, and one commercial pilot-rated passenger, received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane departed from the Gainesville Regional Airport, Gainesville, Florida, the same day, about 0035. According to an official with the FAA Gainesville Flight Service Station, the flight departed early Sunday morning, and during the departure, the pilot stated that he was "departing VFR to the south." There was no further communications with the pilot of the accident airplane. An individual with Flightline Inc., at Gainesville Regional Airport, stated that he refueled N8263P, and at the pilot's request, he added 30 gallons of fuel. He stated that the pilot said he wanted the extra fuel as a safety precaution, but elected not to "top-off" the airplane. According to the refueler, at the time he was refueling the accident airplane, the clouds were low, and there was light rain. He further stated that he heard the two occupants of the airplane state that they had just flown from Pennsylvania, and they joked about being tired, and "dragging", after being in the airplane for such a long time. He further stated that they were concerned about leaving, and said about two or three times that they were too close to their final destination of Williston, Florida, a
Probable cause
The pilot's experiencing spatial disorientation while maneuvering at a low altitude at night under visual meteorological conditions which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and an in-flight collision with a tree.
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Browse: Florida · 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.
