Piper PA-46-310P accident near Hilton Head Is, SC
On August 31, 2003, a Piper PA-46-310P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hilton Head Is, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 31, 2003
- Place
- Hilton Head Is, SC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.235°N, 80.688°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030904X01454
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 31, 2003, at 1529 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-310P, JetProp DLX P46T, N70DL, registered to Hickory Travel, LLC, and operated by the private pilot, collided with trees and the ground and caught fire during an attempted return for landing at Hilton Head Airport, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot and passenger received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Hilton Head Airport, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, about 1525 on August 31, 2003. Prior to the accident flight, a pilot-rated witness waiting for a mechanic was sitting beneath the wing of his parked airplane, which was parked next to the accident airplane. The witness saw the pilot and passenger arrive at the airport, load the airplane, and board it. The witness stated he did not see the pilot perform a preflight inspection of the airplane, and he stated he "wondered about it" at the time. He watched the airplane start up, taxi, and take off, and he stated the takeoff and climbout appeared and sounded normal. A certified flight instructor-rated witness at the airport was listening to the communications radio in his airplane and heard the pilot announce his takeoff from runway 21 on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). Minutes later, the witness heard the pilot declare an emergency and announce intentions for an immediate return. Another witness monitoring the CTAF he
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a VFR pattern for a precautionary landing, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with terrain. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the aircraft, which resulted in his failure to secure the fuel cap.
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Browse: South 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.
