Piper PA 11 accident near Arcanum, OH
On September 14, 2016, a Piper PA 11 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Arcanum, OH. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 14, 2016
- Place
- Arcanum, OH
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 11 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.977°N, 84.543°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160914X13549
Official records · CEN16FA370
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 14, 2016, about 0915 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-11 airplane, N4910M, impacted terrain while maneuvering near Arcanum, Ohio. The student pilot and the passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the student pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident. The local flight departed without a flight plan from a private grass airstrip about 0800. According to onboard video posted by the passenger to social media during the flight, the student pilot was in the front seat, and the passenger was in the rear seat. On several occasions, the onboard video showed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude. While in flight, the passenger texted to a friend that the pilot was flying in a "crazy" manner. A witness, who was in his car preparing to leave for work, observed the airplane fly by his residence at "tree top" level. After exiting his car to check if the airplane had missed the trees, he saw the airplane enter a turn and descend out of sight. Another witness noticed the airplane flying low "just above the trees." A third witness stated that the airplane was flying in a "very radical" manner and commented, "it was like the pilot was drunk." The airplane subsequently impacted in a cornfield about 300 yards north of the departure airstrip. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe student pilot, age 20, was issued a Federal Aviation Administrati
Probable cause
The student pilot's reckless flying attitude and use of multiple psychoactive drugs, which likely impaired his ability to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
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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.
