Piper PA28 accident near Hillsboro, OH
On May 30, 2008, a Piper PA28 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hillsboro, OH. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 30, 2008
- Place
- Hillsboro, OH
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.189°N, 83.539°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080605X00800
Official records · CHI08FA146
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 30, 2008, at 1158 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-235, N9376W, sustained substantial damage due to impact with terrain and fire after take off from runway 23 (3,520 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at Highland County Airport (HOC), Hillsboro, Ohio. A witness reported there was smoke from the front of the airplane before it banked left, descended, and impacted a tree with its left wing. The airplane then struck a corn field, and the airplane was consumed by fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. Both pilots received fatal injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport (3OH0), New Carlisle, Ohio, to have maintenance performed on the airplane's autopilot. The airplane was based at 3OH0 where both pilot's were members of the Flying Angels, Inc. flying club. Both pilots met at 3OH0 and flew to HOC where they arrived about 0900 for maintenance for the airplane autopilot. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, after the maintenance on the autopilot was completed, the airplane initially departed and circled for a return to HOC due to reported smoke in the cockpit. A technician from the facility, which had conducted maintenance on the autopilot, checked the cockpit and autopilot but did not find any discrepancies. On the second takeoff, a witness observed that the airplane departed from runway 23 and attained an altitude of about 300-400 feet before grey smoke emanated
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to an in-flight fire as a result of a corrosion hole in the muffler that was not identified by the mechanic. Contributing to the accident was the improper emergency procedure performed for an in-flight fire.
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Browse: Ohio · 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.
