# Accident 19980610013159A: Piper PA60601P, Altoona, PA, June 10, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 10, 1998, 13:04 local time - Place: Altoona, PA - Airport: Altoona-Blair County - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.3110° N, 78.3193° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3110&lon=-78.3193&mi=10 - Aircraft: N60721, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60721-2000-03-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper AEROSTAR 601P (registry code 7106012, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-aerostar-601p) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60601P - Reported engine: LYC IO540S1A5 - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 3 - Pilot flight hours: 1,100 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98FA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA127) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980610013159A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. TOOK OFF VFR INTO LOW OVERCAST. SPIRAL DIVE ENSUED. VERTICAL IMPACT. BURNED. SPATTAL DISORIENTATION FACTOR. (.4)SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF, A WITNESS ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IN A LEFT TURN, BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUDS. A WITNESS ACROSS FROM WHERE THE AIRPLANE CRASHED STATED HE WAS IN HIS SHED WHEN HE HEARD THE SOUND OF AN AIRPLANE OVERHEAD. WHEN THE SOUND FADED AND RETURNED, LIKE THE AIRPLANE HAD CIRCLED ABOVE THE SHED, HE STEPPED OUTSIDE AND LOOKED FOR THE AIRPLANE. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE EXIT THE CLOUDS IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION AND IMPACT THE GROUND. HE DESCRIBED THE ENGINE NOISE AS LOUD AND SMOOTH. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A FIELD ABOUT 3/4 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND WAS CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. STREAKS OF OIL WERE OBSERVED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER EXTENDING TO ITS UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES. DISASSEMBLY OF BOTH ENGINES DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED INCLUDED A VISIBILITY OF 2 MILES WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE AND MIST, AND THE CEILING WAS 400 FOOT OVERCAST. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AS '...PRETTY FOG,' AND WORSE THAN THE CONDITIONS REPORTED AT THE AIRPORT. (-23)AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 20 AT ALTOONA, PA, THEN ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS. THE NEXT OBSERVATION WAS DEPARTURE FORM IMC CLOUDS, IN A VERTICAL DESCENT. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A 120 HEADING IN A PLOWED CORNFIELD, SLIGHT NOSE DOWN LEVEL ATTITUDE. A POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT AND OCCUPANTS. THREE FATALITIES OCCURED, PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS. ## 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 NYC98FA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA127), Jun 10, 1998: Piper 601P (N60721), Martinsburg, PA, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor in the accident was the low ceiling. ## Other reports on N60721 (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19930830032889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930830032889A), Aug 30, 1993: Piper PA60601P (N60721), Penn Yan, NY, Substantial damage. Distracted by obstructions on final. Stalled short final and struck wires. Dropped to runway. - [Incident 19850802053519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850802053519I), Aug 2, 1985: Piper PA60601P (N60721), Indianapolis, IN. Oil type odor noted during descent, pressure dropped. Engine shutdown. Crankcase was cracked. - [Incident 19841108070819I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841108070819I), Nov 8, 1984: Piper PA60601P (N60721), Indianapolis, IN. Aircraft veered after touchdown. Exam of scissor on right main gear showed upper link assembly failed. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.