Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Knoxville, TN

On April 12, 2024, a Piper PA-32R-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Knoxville, TN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

April 12, 2024

Place

Knoxville, TN

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

36.000°N, 84.000°W

NTSB ID

20240412194081

Official records · ERA24FA176

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• ATC - Attachment 1 - Certified ATC Audio Recordings: Recording (ZIP), on ntsb.gov
• ATC Services Review: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• ATC - Attachment 2 - FAA Ads-B Data: Document (ZIP), on ntsb.gov
• ATC - Attachment 3 - Stars Radar Data: Document (PPB), on ntsb.gov
• ATC - Attachment 4 - Opsvue Track Data: Document (ZIP), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 12, 2024, about 1633 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N9236J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control information, the pilot contacted clearance delivery at McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee, about 1611 and was cleared to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), Grand Rapids, Michigan, as filed. The pilot acknowledged the clearance and reported having the current weather information for TYS. At 1616, the local controller cleared the flight for takeoff from runway 23L and instructed the pilot to fly the runway heading. After departure, the pilot was instructed to turn right and proceed direct to GRR while climbing to 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About 1619, the pilot contacted departure control and continued the climb. A performance study of the airplane’s flight path based on ADS-B data showed that the airplane turned right onto a northerly heading around 1621 while climbing at airspeeds that were calculated to be between 85 and 105 kts. About 1628, the airplane leveled off around 8,000 ft msl. At 1631:27, the pilot contacted the controller and stated that he was “picking up a little moisture in the clouds” and requested deviations or a higher altitude. The controller approved lateral deviations and offered a climb to 10,000 ft msl, which the pilot accepted. The airplane

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to depart into an area of instrument meteorological and icing conditions, which resulted in loss of airplane control and a subsequent in-flight breakup.

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Browse: Tennessee · Piper aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.