# Accident 19990412042209A: Piper PA16, Hardeeville, SC, April 12, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 1999, 14:10 local time
- Place: Hardeeville, SC
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.2703° N, 81.0696° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2703&lon=-81.0696&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5796H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5796H-1999-10-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-16 (registry code 7101602, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA16
- Reported engine: LYC O235C1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 1,675 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99FA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99FA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990412042209A

## Narrative

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

(-4) THE PILOT TRANSMITTED THAT HE WAS ENCOUNTERING 'PRETTY BAD' CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE AT HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE FROM THE MILITARY APPROACH RADAR CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER GAVE THE PILOT A TURN BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, AND WHILE IN THE TURN THE PILOT TRANSMITTED THAT TURBULENCE WAS NOW 'SEVERE'. HE MADE ANOTHER GARBLED TRANSMISSION THAT SOUNDED AS IF HE WAS SAYING, 'HEADED DOWN' OR 'GOING DOWN'. HE DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCOPE AND THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND LATER,  HAVING IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A TREE PRESERVE ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE SAVANNAH VOR.  NO EVIDENCE OF  ANY PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION COULD BE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE OR AIRFRAME, OR THEIR COMPONENTS.

## 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 MIA99FA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99FA125), Apr 12, 1999: Piper PA-16 (N5796H), Hardeeville, SC, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An inflight loss of control for undetermined reasons while in a descent and the subsequent collision with the terrain.

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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