# Accident 19990801010169A: Piper PA32260, Youngstown, OH, August 1, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 1, 1999, 13:59 local time
- Place: Youngstown, OH
- Airport: Youngstown Elser Metro Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9500° N, 80.6495° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9500&lon=-80.6495&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5526J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5526J-2000-04-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32260
- Reported engine: LYC O540E4B5
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 1,768 total, 23 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA187) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990801010169A

## Narrative

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

ACFT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PILOT AND 3 PAX SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES, ANOTHER PAX HAS SERIOUS INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)AFTER LANDING, THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED, AND THE FIVE PEOPLE GOT BACK ONBOARD.  THE TAIL WAS ALMOST TOUCHING THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SITTING NOSE HIGH.  AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE A HARD TIME CLIMBING OUT, AND WAS 'HANGING ON THE PROP.'  THE AIRPLANE TURNED TOWARD A LEFT DOWNWIND.  IT WAS INITIALLY NOSE HIGH, THEN STARTED TO SLOWLY LOSE ALTITUDE.  ALTITUDE LOSS QUICKENED, THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE FELL THROUGH, AND THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED A SLIDING, LEFT TURN UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT.  THE ENGINE WAS HEARD 'ROARING' PRIOR TO IMPACT, CHORDWISE SCRATCHES WERE FOUND ON THE PROPELLER BLADES, AND ROTATIONAL MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE STARTER HOUSING.  THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 POUNDS UNDER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT, WHILE CENTER OF GRAVITY COMPUTATIONS, USING SEVERAL DIFFERENT BAGGAGE LOADING SCENARIOS, RANGED FROM 1.1 INCHES, TO 0.3 INCHES, FORWARD OF THE                        AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT. TEMPERTURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 81 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND THE DENSITY WAS ABOUT 2,600 FEET MSL.

## 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 NYC99FA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA187), Aug 1, 1999: Piper PA-32-260 (N5526J), North Lima, OH, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control of the airplane during a turn. Factors include the pilot's failure maintain sufficient airspeed, and his failure to maintain the airplane in proper trim.

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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