# Accident 19990207001149A: Piper PA32RT300, Medina, OH, February 7, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 7, 1999, 11:36 local time - Place: Medina, OH - Airport: Medina Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.1295° N, 81.8598° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1295&lon=-81.8598&mi=10 - Aircraft: N31975, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N31975-1999-06-09) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300 (registry code 7103215, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT300 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 525 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD99LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99LA029) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990207001149A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT ACFT CLIPPED TREES AFTER TAKE-OFF IN HEAVY SNOW AND CRASHED. THE 3 POB SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19)ON FEBRUARY 7, 1999, ABOUT 1136 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300, N31975, WAS DESTROYED AS IT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON TAKEOFF FROM THE MEDINA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (1G5), MEDINA, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERICIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE THREE OCCUPANTS WERE AGENTS WITH THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TABACCO, AND FIREARMS (ATF). INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS DESTINED FOR THE SCOTT AIRPORT (OM1), PARSONS, TENNESSEE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT 1G5, ABOUT 1100, AND TAXIED TO THE REFUELING AREA. AFTER TOPPING OFF THE FUEL TANKS WITH 39.7 GALLONS OF AVIATION GASOLINE, A HEAVY SNOW SQUALL BEGAN. A PICKUP TRUCK APPROACHED, AND BAGGAGE AND GEAR WERE LOADED INTO THE FRONT AND REAR COMPARTMENTS OF THE AIRPLANE. A WITNESS RECALLED THAT SNOW ACCUMULATED ON THE WINGS, AND A PASSENGER SWEPT THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS, BUT DID NOT SEE HIM SWEEP THE T-TAILED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. AFTER THE PILOT WENT INSIDE THE FBO TO OBTAIN A TAKEOFF VOID TIME, THE OCCUPANTS RETURNED AND BRUSHED SNOW OFF THE WINGS AGAIN, AND BOARDED THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE TAXIED TO RUNWAY 27. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT REQUESTED A WIND CHECK AND WAS TOLD THE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST AT 8-10 KNOTS. THE WITNESS REMEMBERED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 27 IN A HEAVY SNOW FALL, AND STATED THAT "THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED QUICKLY WITH THE VISIBILITY ESTIMATED ABOUT 1/4 MILE." A PILOT NEXT TO THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD A "BANG," SO THEY TURNED ON A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER, BUT DID NOT HEAR AN ELT SIGNAL. ANOTHER WITNESS, ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE, STATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE TAKING OFF, THEN TREES BREAKING AND A LOUD NOISE. HE CALLED 911 AND RAN TO THE SCENE. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTORS ALONG WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME MANUFACTURERS EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AND THE DEBRIS FIELD. THEY REPORTED THAT THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT (IIP) WAS THE TOP OF A 60 FOOT TALL TREE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED ON A 260 DEGREES MAGNETIC HEADING FOR APPROXIMATELY 218 FEET, STRIKING NUM EROUS BRANCHES AND MAIN TRUNKS PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT. SEVERAL PIECES OF DIAGONALLY CUT WOOD WERE FOUND ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE LEFT WING SEPARATED AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 38 FEET FROM THE IIP. THE ATTACHED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN A DOWN AND PARTIALLY LOCKED POSITION. THE INBOARD LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS FOUND TORN OPEN AND LOCATED 101 FEET FROM THE IIP. THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR, RUDDER AND A 27 INCH TOP PORTION OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WERE LOCATED ABOUT 187 FEET FROM THE IIP. THE MAIN CABIN CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE RIGHT WING ROOT LODGED AGAINST THE BASE OF A TREE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE CABIN AREA WAS CONSUMED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE. ONLY THE TWO FRONT AND TWO AFT CABIN SEAT FRAMES WERE FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. THE FLAP SELECTOR HANDLE WAS FOUND IN A RETRACTED POSITION. THE FLAP TORQUE TUBE WAS FOUND IN THE FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED POSITION. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND DOWN AND LOCKED. THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE FOUND FRACTURED AND APPEARED CONSISTENT WITH TENSILE OVERLOADING. THE PROPELLER WAS BROKEN FROM THE CRANK SHAFT AND DISPLAYED CHORD WISE SCRATCHING. ONE BLADE DISPLAYED TORSIONAL BENDING AND WAS MIS SING ABOUT A 6 INCH TIP, WHICH WAS FOUND NEAR THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE CRANK SHAFT WAS ROTATED, COMPRESSION IN THE CYLINDERS OBTAINED, AND CONTINUITY THROUGH THE ENGINE TO THE ACCESSORIES WAS VERIFIED. (-23) STUDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED LANDING ON SNOW AND ICE COVERED RUNWAY, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND DEPARTED SIDE OF RUNWAY INTO SNOWBANK. RUNWAY BRAKING ACTION POOR.Y (-23)STUDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED LANDING ON SNOW AND ICE COVERED RUNWAY, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND DEPARTED SIDE OF RUNWAY INTO SNOWBANK. RUNWAY BRAKING ACTION POOR. ## 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 IAD99LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD99LA029), Feb 7, 1999: Piper PA-32RT-300 (N31975), Medina, OH, destroyed. Probable cause: Was the pilot's failure to remove snow from the horizontal stabilator prior to take-off and his improper decision to depart downwind. Factors in the accident were the heavy snow squall and tailwind. 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.