Piper PA-28-161 accident near Middletown, RI
On July 3, 2008, a Piper PA-28-161 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Middletown, RI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 3, 2008
- Place
- Middletown, RI
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 41.524°N, 71.284°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080709X01002
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 3, 2008, at 1931 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA 28-161, N9888K, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees, during the initial climb from Newport State Airport (UUU), Middletown, Rhode Island. The certificated flight instructor and a passenger were killed. The third occupant, a student pilot, was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries on September 15, 2008. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the airplane owner and fueling records, the airplane was "topped-off" with 25.1 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel, and departed on runway 22, a 2,999-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. Several witnesses, who lived near the airport, reported hearing the engine noise cease, immediately followed by the sound of an impact. One of the witnesses approached the wreckage from the right side, and was able to extricate the student pilot before the airplane was consumed by fire. Another witness was a professional pilot, who held an airline transport pilot certificate and reported 12,670 total hours of flight experience. The witness stated that he was approaching UUU in a Socata TBM 700, with the intent to land and drop-off a passenger. During the approach, the witness was behind a "PA 28 aircraft" in the traffic pattern (but could not positively identify it as the accident airplane). A pilot in the PA 28 reported that he was on a downwind leg for runway 22, with the intention to touch-
Probable cause
The flight instructor's failure to initiate a go-around during a high approach, and his inadequate remedial action during an attempted touch-and-go.
More accidents in RI
- Piper PA-28R-200, Jul 5, 2006
- Piper PA-32R-301, Sep 3, 2000
- Piper PA-38-112, Nov 17, 2008
- Cessna 180, Nov 16, 2003
- Beech A-36, Apr 28, 2001
Browse: Rhode Island · 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.
