19990813011969A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Pawpaw, MI · August 13, 1999

Date: August 13, 1999 · 10:51 local
Place: Pawpaw, MI
Phase of flight: Unknown/Not Reported
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N281PF
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI99FA290
Reported as: Piper PA28181
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 4

N281PFRegistration cancelled Mar 18, 2013 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-8190156 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 crashed under unknown circumstances, but some witnesses stated that a wing came off in flight, all 4 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed. (.19) on August 13, 1999, at 1051 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, n 281PF, operated by national flyers association, was destroyed when it experienced an in-flight breakup prior to impacting the ground about 3 miles south of paw paw, Michigan. The outboard section of the right wing and empennage were located approximately 0.5 miles north of the main wreckage. The 14 CFR part 91 flight had departed fond du lac county airport, fond du lac, Wisconsin, en route to the Ohio state university airport, columbus, Ohio, on a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. (-23)witnesses reported that right wing and other parts separated from aircraft in flight prior to aircraft emerging from the overcast.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT SOME WITNESSES STATED THAT A WING CAME OFF IN FLIGHT, ALL 4 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.19) ON AUGUST 13, 1999, AT 1051 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-181, N 281PF, OPERATED BY NATIONAL FLYERS ASSOCIATION, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF PAW PAW, MICHIGAN. THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FOND DU LAC COUNTY AIRPORT, FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN, EN ROUTE TO THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT, COLUMBUS, OHIO, ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (-23)WITNESSES REPORTED THAT RIGHT WING AND OTHER PARTS SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT EMERGING FROM THE OVERCAST.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CHI99FA290Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportPaw Paw, MIthe pilot flew into known adverse weather, the pilot's lack of total instrument flight experience, and the pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane. Factors included the pilot's total lack of experience in the type of operation and the pilot's…Aug 13, 1999 · Destroyed