19990506005159A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28RT-201T · Plymouth, MA · May 6, 1999

Date
May 6, 1999 · 15:18 local
Place
Plymouth, MA
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8235Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99FAMS3
Reported as
Piper PA28RT201T
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,800 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Acft has been missing and the subject of an alnot since its departure from norwood, MA, on 5/6/99, the search has been suspended, and the pilot/sole occupant is assumed to have suffered fatal injuries, all other circumstances are unknown at this time, the acft may have gone down near its departure point of norwood, MA. (.19) on may 6, 1999, about 1518 eastern daylight time, a Piper pa 28RT-210T, N8235Z, was presumed destroyed when it disappeared from radar, near Plymouth, Massachusetts. As of July 26, 1999, the airplane had not been located, and the certificated private pilot was presumed fatal. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed the norwood memorial airport (owd), about 1445. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. There were no known communications with the airplane. Air traffic control radar began tracking a target squawking 1200 in the norwood area, about the same time the missing airplane was suspected of departing. The target tracked southbound to a point 5 miles south of the taunton airport, then turned eastbound at 1506:02. At that time, the altitude of the target was 1,100 feet. At 1506:14, at 41 degrees, 49 minutes, 83 seconds, north latitude, and 70 degrees, 49 minutes, 22 seconds, west longitude, radar contact was lost. At 1518:14, a target was observed at 41 degrees, 50 minutes, 32 seconds, north latitude, 70 degrees, 46 minutes, west longitude, at an altitude of 500 feet. There were no further contacts. According to the federal aviation administration (FAA), there was no record that the pilot had obtained a weather briefing from a flight service station prior to the flight. The weather reported at owd, at 1453, and 1535, was as follows: 1453: winds 070 at 8 knots; visibility 7 miles; few clouds at 3,200 feet; temperature 66 degrees f; dewpoint 61 degrees f.; 1535: winds 050 at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; ceiling 2,800 feet overcast; temperature 64 degrees f; dewpoint 59 degrees f. the weather reported at the Plymouth airport, which was located about 5 miles northeast of the what was believed to be the airplane's last known position, was as follows: 1452: winds 070 at 11 knots; visibility 10 miles; broken cloud layers at 500, 1,800 and 2,500 feet; temperature 55 degrees f; dewpoint 52 degrees f.; 1552: winds 060 at 5 knots; visibility 10 miles; c eiling 500 overcast, temperature 55 degrees f; dewpoint 52 degrees f. the pilot was instrument rated and reported 2,900 hours of total flight experience on his last application for an FAA third class medical certificate, which was issued on may 29, 1999. (-23)aircraft and pilot are missing. No evidence of either have been found. Document being submitted by request of aai.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT HAS BEEN MISSING AND THE SUBJECT OF AN ALNOT SINCE ITS DEPARTURE FROM NORWOOD, MA, ON 5/6/99, THE SEARCH HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, AND THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT IS ASSUMED TO HAVE SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, ALL OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, THE ACFT MAY HAVE GONE DOWN NEAR ITS DEPARTURE POINT OF NORWOOD, MA. (.19) ON MAY 6, 1999, ABOUT 1518 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA 28RT-210T, N8235Z, WAS PRESUMED DESTROYED WHEN IT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR, NEAR PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS. AS OF JULY 26, 1999, THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN LOCATED, AND THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS PRESUMED FATAL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE NORWOOD MEMORIAL AIRPORT (OWD), ABOUT 1445. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THERE WERE NO KNOWN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR BEGAN TRACKING A TARGET SQUAWKING 1200 IN THE NORWOOD AREA, ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE MISSING AIRPLANE WAS SUSPECTED OF DEPARTING. THE TARGET TRACKED SOUTHBOUND TO A POINT 5 MILES SOUTH OF THE TAUNTON AIRPORT, THEN TURNED EASTBOUND AT 1506:02. AT THAT TIME, THE ALTITUDE OF THE TARGET WAS 1,100 FEET. AT 1506:14, AT 41 DEGREES, 49 MINUTES, 83 SECONDS, NORTH LATITUDE, AND 70 DEGREES, 49 MINUTES, 22 SECONDS, WEST LONGITUDE, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. AT 1518:14, A TARGET WAS OBSERVED AT 41 DEGREES, 50 MINUTES, 32 SECONDS, NORTH LATITUDE, 70 DEGREES, 46 MINUTES, WEST LONGITUDE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 500 FEET. THERE WERE NO FURTHER CONTACTS. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), THERE WAS NO RECORD THAT THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE WEATHER REPORTED AT OWD, AT 1453, AND 1535, WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1453: WINDS 070 AT 8 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 7 MILES; FEW CLOUDS AT 3,200 FEET; TEMPERATURE 66 DEGREES F; DEWPOINT 61 DEGREES F.; 1535: WINDS 050 AT 7 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; CEILING 2,800 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE 64 DEGREES F; DEWPOINT 59 DEGREES F. THE WEATHER REPORTED AT THE PLYMOUTH AIRPORT, WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE AIRPLANE'S LAST KNOWN POSITION, WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1452: WINDS 070 AT 11 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; BROKEN CLOUD LAYERS AT 500, 1,800 AND 2,500 FEET; TEMPERATURE 55 DEGREES F; DEWPOINT 52 DEGREES F.; 1552: WINDS 060 AT 5 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; C EILING 500 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE 55 DEGREES F; DEWPOINT 52 DEGREES F. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED AND REPORTED 2,900 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON HIS LAST APPLICATION FOR AN FAA THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON MAY 29, 1999. (-23)AIRCRAFT AND PILOT ARE MISSING. NO EVIDENCE OF EITHER HAVE BEEN FOUND. DOCUMENT BEING SUBMITTED BY REQUEST OF AAI.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.