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19990905042529A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Westerly, RI · September 5, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 5, 1999 · 11:53 local
Place
Westerly, RI
Airport
Westerly State
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
NEAA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4830S
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99FA220
Reported as
Piper PA32260
Reported engine
Lycoming O540E4B5
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
5,259 total9 in this make and model202 in the last 90 days
N4830SRegistration cancelled May 10, 2000 · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-1261Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260

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.

(.4)According to a passenger, the airplane departed normally but seemed 'very shaky.' As the airplane climbed, it began to slowly turn to the right, and the pilot had a concerned look on his face as he reached up to an area where the air vents were located. The pilot then moved his right hand down to an area where the communications and navigation radios were located, and appeared to turn a dial. The pilot then immediately moved his right hand from the radio area to the yoke, gripping the yoke with both hands and turning it about 90 degrees to the left. The airplane banked to the left, descended, and impacted terrain in an open field about 200 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Witnesses recalled hearing the airplane's engine 'operating normally,' as it departed. Rotational damage was observed on both propeller blades after the accident. (-23)the aircraft departed runway 07 at Westerly, RI (wst) and climbed to approximately 100-150'. Then rolled to the left and descended in a left turn impacting the ground approximately 500' from the end of runway 07. Post crash investigation of the aircraft found no mechincal problems with the ai rcraft. The autopsy of the pilot found no physical abnormalities. The investigation is continuing with interviewing of the surving passengers.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ACCORDING TO A PASSENGER, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED NORMALLY BUT SEEMED 'VERY SHAKY.' AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED, IT BEGAN TO SLOWLY TURN TO THE RIGHT, AND THE PILOT HAD A CONCERNED LOOK ON HIS FACE AS HE REACHED UP TO AN AREA WHERE THE AIR VENTS WERE LOCATED. THE PILOT THEN MOVED HIS RIGHT HAND DOWN TO AN AREA WHERE THE COMMUNICATIONS AND NAVIGATION RADIOS WERE LOCATED, AND APPEARED TO TURN A DIAL. THE PILOT THEN IMMEDIATELY MOVED HIS RIGHT HAND FROM THE RADIO AREA TO THE YOKE, GRIPPING THE YOKE WITH BOTH HANDS AND TURNING IT ABOUT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE BANKED TO THE LEFT, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN IN AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 200 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES RECALLED HEARING THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE 'OPERATING NORMALLY,' AS IT DEPARTED. ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ON BOTH PROPELLER BLADES AFTER THE ACCIDENT. (-23)THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 07 AT WESTERLY, RI (WST) AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 100-150'. THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND DESCENDED IN A LEFT TURN IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 500' FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 07. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND NO MECHINCAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AI RCRAFT. THE AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT FOUND NO PHYSICAL ABNORMALITIES. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING WITH INTERVIEWING OF THE SURVING PASSENGERS.

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 NYC99FA220Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportWesterly, RIThe pilot's loss of control of the airplane during a turn.Sep 5, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4830S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19831231065059ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Ekalaka, MTVeered off a snow and ice covered private strip on landing. Struck a snowbank.Dec 31, 1983 · Substantial damage