# Accident 19990905042529A: Piper PA32260, Westerly, RI, September 5, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 1999, 11:53 local time
- Place: Westerly, RI
- Airport: Westerly State
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: NEAA
- Location: 41.3496° N, 71.8034° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WESTERLY STATE (WST), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3496&lon=-71.8034&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4830S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4830S-2000-05-10) (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: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 5,259 total, 9 in this make and model, 202 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA220) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990905042529A

## Narrative

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

(.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.

## 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 NYC99FA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA220), Sep 5, 1999: Piper PA-32-260 (N4830S), Westerly, RI, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control of the airplane during a turn.

## Other reports on N4830S (1)

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

- [Accident 19831231065059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19831231065059A), Dec 31, 1983: Piper PA32260 (N4830S), Ekalaka, MT, Substantial damage. Veered off a snow and ice covered private strip on landing. Struck a snowbank.

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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