Piper PA-30 accident near Gilford, NH
On September 25, 2002, a Piper PA-30 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Gilford, NH. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 25, 2002
- Place
- Gilford, NH
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.631°N, 71.361°W
- NTSB ID
- 20021004X05281
Official records · NYC02FA196
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 25, 2002, about 1125 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-30, N7106Y, operated by Alan Emerson Aviation Inc., Gilford, New Hampshire, was destroyed when it impacted Lake Winnipesake, near Gilford, New Hampshire. The certificated flight instructor and private pilot were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, that departed from Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI), Gilford. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the private pilot was a prospective buyer of the airplane, and was receiving flight instruction for his multi-engine rating. This was the private pilot's second flight in the airplane. The airplane was observed taxiing for departure with the private pilot in the left seat, and the flight instructor in the right seat. The airplane departed from LCI about 1100. Several witnesses observed the accident. The following are excerpts from some of the witness statements: "...I witnessed what appeared to be an all white twin engine plane coming straight down nose first into the water. As it approached, it appeared the pilot tried to bring the nose up. The plane went into the water surface and disappeared out of sight...." "...I saw what looked like a small plane in a vertical dive...there was no sound that I could hear. As the plane approached it gave me the impression of a radio controlled model that someone was trying to pull up out of the dive. My reaction was 'he gonna make it
Probable cause
The flight instructor's failure to maintain airplane control, which resulted in an uncontrolled collision with water.
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Browse: New Hampshire · 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.
