# Accident 19980426007599A: Piper PA32300, New Bedford, MA, April 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 26, 1998, 22:30 local time
- Place: New Bedford, MA
- Airport: New Bedford Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.6766° N, 70.9578° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at NEW BEDFORD RGNL (EWB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6766&lon=-70.9578&mi=10
- Aircraft: N15326, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15326-2013-06-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 958 total, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA102) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980426007599A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DEPARTED WITH CONTROL LOCKS ENGAGED. LOST CONTROL. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART RUNWAY 5 AND CLIMB AT A STEEP ANGLE.  THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED TO THE NORTHWEST, THEN TO THE NORTHEAST, AND DESCENDED STEEPLY TO THE GROUND.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR REVEALED A CONTROL LOCK DEVICE, WITH A LOCKED PAD LOCK, INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT HAND FLIGHT CONTROL COLUMN.  TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING REVEALED 155 MG/DL (0.155%) ETHANOL DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD, 187 MG/DL ETHANOL DETECTED IN THE VITREOUS, AND 205 MG/DL ETHANOL DETECTED IN THE URINE.  A REVIEW OF 14 CFR PART 91.17, STATED, '(A) NO PERSON MAY ACT OR ATTEMPT TO ACT AS A CREWMEMBER OF A CIVIL AIRCRAFT...(4) WHILE HAVING A .04 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OR MORE ALCOHOL IN THE BLOOD.'

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA102), Apr 26, 1998: Piper PA-32-300 (N15326), New Bedford, MA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's impairment due to alcohol, which resulted in an inadequate preflight examination and subsequent takeoff with a control lock installed.

## Other reports on N15326 (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19940126000929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940126000929A), Jan 26, 1994: Piper PA32300 (N15326), Evant, TX, Destroyed, 2 fatal
- [Accident 19760603016069A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760603016069A), Jun 3, 1976: Piper PA32300 (N15326), Bend, OR, Substantial damage. L tanks empty,r tanks full.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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