Piper PA32R-300 accident near Broadway, NC
On March 14, 2002, a Piper PA32R-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Broadway, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 14, 2002
- Place
- Broadway, NC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32R-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.512°N, 78.978°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020320X00366
Official records · MIA02FA067
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: Tower Diagram: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: Tower Logs: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 14, 2002, about 1628 eastern standard time, a Piper PA32R-300, N4451X, registered to Ram Air Freight Inc., and operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 135 nonscheduled cargo flight, collided with a television transmission tower in Broadway, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft received fatal injuries, and the tower and the airplane were destroyed. The flight originated from Greenville, North Carolina, the same day, about 1545. A witness stated that he, his wife, and their two children were in their front yard, and they heard an aircraft engine. They all turned around to look at the airplane and he said he noted that the airplane was flying "westward or into the sun." He stated that as the airplane approached the tower, it appeared to have been lower than other airplanes he had seen fly over the tower previously. He stated that the airplane appeared to hit a guy wire, and that he did not notice any attempt to correct the flight path before the collision occurred. He also said that there had been no signs of trouble with the airplane's engine. As the airplane collided, it "jolted to the left, and exploded in mid air." He said that the collision appeared to have occurred about 3/4 of the way up the tower, and about 4 or 5 seconds after the explosion, the tower fell in the direction that the aircraft had been traveling. He said that at the time of the accident, the sky was clear, and the tower was visible. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 28
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance.
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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.
