# Accident 19990401002889A: Piper PA34200, Tallahassee, FL, April 1, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 1, 1999, 15:48 local time - Place: Tallahassee, FL - Airport: Tallahassee Regionall Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.3907° N, 84.5101° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3907&lon=-84.5101&mi=10 - Aircraft: N15478, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15478-2017-04-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200 - Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99FA066) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990401002889A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT TOOK OFF, CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET MSL. TURNED RIGHT, ROLLED OVER, AND CRASHED 500 FEET WEST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 18, THE PILOT HAD ADVISED "I HAVE A PROBLEM" BUT WAS UNABLE TO FINISH THE SENTENCE, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON APRIL 1, 1999 AT 1548 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-34-200, N15478, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 27 AT THE TALLAHASSEE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH A FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WAS A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE TAKEOFF FROM TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA; THE FLIGHT WAS ENROUTE TO MEMPHIS, TN. THE FLIGHT HAD LANDED EARLIER AND WAS REFUELED WITH 60 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL. THE PILOT REPORTEDLY, HAD FLOWN FROM FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, AND WAS ENROUTE TO MEMPHIS, TN. THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR A RUNWAY 27 VISUAL DEPARTURE. THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE, TAXIING FOR TAKEO FF, OBSERVED N15478 DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT. AS N15478 CONTINUED THE CLIMB, IT WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT 45 DEGREE BANK, AND TURNING THROUGH A 360 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEAD. AT THIS POINT, THE NOSE OF THE N15478 WAS UP ABOUT 30 DEGREES AND THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED. AT APPROX. THE SAME TIME, THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM AND WANTED TO RETURN; THE PILOT NEVER STATED THE PROBLEM. THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY STARTED LOSING ALTITUDE AND APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED A SECOND TIME. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT THE "STABILATOR" ASSEMBLY APPEARED TO BE "FULL PITCH UP." BOTH PROPELLERS APPEARED TO BE TURNING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF FLIGHT GYRATIONS. JUST BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND, N15478 WAS LAST OBSERVED IN A 20 TO 30 DEGREE RIGHT BANK, AND A 50 TO 60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. SECONDS LATER, A FIREBALL WAS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY WHERE N15478 WAS LAST SEEN. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 210 FEET LONG AND 90 FEET WIDE. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ORIENTED ON A 070 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. THE VEGETATION AND THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE FUSELAGE WAS BURNED. THE CE NTER AND NOSE SECTIONS OF THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE. THE ACCESSORY SECTIONS OF BOTH ENGINES WERE ALSO FIRE DAMAGED. A REVIEW OF THE FIRE DAMAGED AIRPLANE MAINTENANCE LOGS DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN ISSUED A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT (FERRY PERMIT) FOR THE FLIGHT FROM SAINT VINCENT, WEST INDIES, TO FORT LAUDERDALE, FL., ONLY. ON APRIL 2, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 2100, THE HANGAR WHERE THE AIRFRAME WRECKAGE WAS SECURED FOR THE FIELD INVESTIGATION, WAS FORCIBLY ENTERED. THE TALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE BREAK-IN. (.4) THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE, WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF, OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT 45-DEGREE BANK, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS UP ABOUT 30 DEGREES AND THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED. AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME, THE PILOT RADIOED AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM AND WANTED TO RETURN; THE PILOT NEVER STATED THE PROBLEM. THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY STARTED LOSING ALTITUDE AND JUST BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST OBSERVED IN A 20 TO 30 DEGREE RIGHT BANK, AND A 50 TO 60 DEGREE NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE. SECON DS LATER, A FIREBALL WAS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY WHERE THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST SEEN. THE FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY RECEIVED HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE. THE CENTER SECTION OF THE AIRFRAME AND THE COCKPIT AREA WAS FIRE DAMAGED. THE SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME ASSEMBLIES FAILED TO REVEAL A MECHANICAL PROBLEM OR COMPONENT FAILURE. (-23)ON APRIL 1, 1999, AT 1548 EST, A PIPER PA-34-200, CRASHED AND BURNED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL AIRPORT (TLH), ENROUTE ON A FERRY FLIGHT FOR MAINTENANCE TO WEST MEMPHIS, ARKANSAS (AWM). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, PILOT FATAL. ## 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 ATL99FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99FA066), Apr 1, 1999: Piper PA-34-200 (N15478), Tallahassee, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed during initial climb which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled collision with terrain. ## Other reports on N15478 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910316021609I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910316021609I), Mar 16, 1991: Piper PA34200 (N15478), Key West, FL. VFR pilot caught in rising cloud deck. Miami approach control assisted to VFR landing. 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.