# Accident 20000111006549A: Piper PA46310P, Bradford, PA, January 11, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 11, 2000, 07:15 local time - Place: Bradford, PA - Airport: Bradford Regional - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.0298° N, 78.3203° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0298&lon=-78.3203&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9103N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9103N-2012-11-28) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-46-310P (registry code 7104605, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-310p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA46310P - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC00LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA066) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000111006549A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE WAS DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS OF THE PILOT, PASSENGERS, WITNESSES AND AN ON-SCENE INVSTIGATION CONDUCTED BY PERSONNEL OF HTE ALLEGHENY FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE. ON TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 11, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 AM, AIRCRAFT N9103N, A PIPER MALIBU, WAS INVOLVED IN A CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN ACCIDENT AT THE BRADFORD COUNTY AIRPORT, BRADOFRD, PA (KBFD). THE PILOT, MR. ROBERT T. HARRIS, HOLDER OF COMMERICAL PILOT CERTIFICATE #2194642, HAD PLANNED AN IFR FLIGHT FROM KBFD TO CONCRD REGIONAL AIRPORT, CONCORD, NC (KJQF). THE PILOT CHECKED THE WEATHER AND FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN THROUGH THE DUAT SYSTEM THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT ON JANUARY 10, 2000. THE NEXT MORNING, THE PILOT AGAIN CHECKED THE WEATHER AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 AM AND DETERMINED HE COULD ACCOMPLISH THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS, ALONG WITH APPROXIMATELY 30 POUNDS OF BAGGAGE, ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 AM. AS THEY BEGAN TO PUSH THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE HANGER, IT BEGAN TO SNOW LIGHTLY. THE PILOT SPPLIED "ICE-X" TO THE DE-ICE BOOTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE PASSENGERS LOADED THE BAGGAGE INTO THE NOSE STORAGE COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAF T. BY THE TIME THE PILOT STARTED THE ARICRAFT AND BAGAN TO TAXI FROM THE HANGER TO RUNWAY 23, THE INTENSITY OF SNOW INCREASED FROM THE LIGHT TO MODERATE AND THE TEXTURE HAD CHANGED FROM LIGHT TO LARGE HEAVY WET FLAKES. ADDITIONALLY, THE RAMP AND RUNWAY AREAS WERE COVERED WITH APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH OF SNOW AND SLUSH. AIRCRAFT RUNUP AND BEFORE TAKE-OFF, CHECKS WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE RUNUP WAS ABBREVIATED DUE TO THE AIRPLANE SLIDING ON THE SNOW COVERED SURFACE. JUST PRIOR TO THE TAKE OFF ROLL, THE PILOT TURNED ON THE AIRCRAFT ICE LIGHT ON THE LEFT WING AND NOTICED THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH OF SNOW ON THE WING. THE PILOT BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. DURING THE TAKE-OFF, HE SAW THAT THE SNOW WAS BEING BLOWN OFF THE WINGS. HIS PASSENGERS ALSO STATED THEY SAW THE SNOW COMING OFF THE OUTBOARD PART OF THE WINGS, BUT SNOW REMAINED ON THE WING AREA NEXT TO THE CABIN. THE PILOT THEN STATED HE FELT THE AIRPLANE LIFT OFF, BUT IT FELT LIKE HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPEED TO FLY. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED A LITTLE MORE AND LIFTED OFF AGAIN. DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT ONC E AIRBORNE AGAIN, AND AFTER THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, HE SAID THE AIRPLANE FELT IT WAS RIGHT ON THE VERGE OF STALLING. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 15-20 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY ACCORDING TO A GROUND WITNESS. WITH THE RUNWAY LENGTH RAPIDLY DECREASING AND THE AIRPLANE FAILING TO GAIN ANYMORE ALTITUDE, THE PILOT BELIEVES HE MAY HAVE REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND LAND IN THE CLEAR AREA BEYOND THE RUNWAY. HE SAID HE THINKS HE MAY HAVE DONE THIS BECAUSE OF THE AIRPLANE'S INABILITY TO CLIMB AND HIS WANTING TO AVOID HITTING THE TALL TREES BEYOND THE CLEAR AREA. FROM THIS POINT ON, THE PILOT RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS IS UNCLEAR. THE PASSENGERS STATED THAT THEY FELT AND SAW THE RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND, THEN THEY SAW A FIREBALL AND FINALLY FELT THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRPLANE UNHARMED, GOT THE LUGGAGE FROM THE NOSE COMPARTMENT AND WALKED BACK TO THE AIRPORT TERMINAL. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE BY PERSONNEL OF THE ALLEGHENY FSDO-3, THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND UPRIGHT AND INTACT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END AND APPR OXIAMTELY 300 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 23 ON A HEADING OF 200 DEGREES. AN IMPACT MARK IN A SMALL DIRT PILE CAUSED BY THE RIGHT WING, WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END AND 260 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 23. APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET PAST THE IMPACT MARK, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AND TORE DOWN A SECTION OF AN 8 FOOT TALL AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE. THE FENCE POST CLOSEST TO THE GATE ON THE LEFT WAS BENT AT A SEVERE ANGLE. THE NEXT FENCE POST TO THE RIGTH OF THE BENT ONE WAS SLIGHTLY BENT AND HAD INDICATION OF BURN MARKS ON THE TOP 12 INCHES. THE INBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING, APPROXIMATELY 80 INCHES IN LENGTH, CONTAINING THE RETRACTED RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, WAS FOUND INVERTED, APPROXIMATELY 62 FEET FROM THE SEVERELY BENT FENCE POST ON A HEADING OF 165 DEGREES. THIS PORTION OF THE WING ALSO HAD VERY MINOR BURN MARKS ON THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES. A SECTION OF THE RIGHT AILERON WAS FOUND 12 1/2 FEET IN LINE WITH AND BEYOND THE RIGHT INBOARD WING SECTION. THE REMAINING OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING, APPROXIMATELY 144 INCHES IN LENGTH, WAS FOUND IN LINE WITH AND 22 1/2 FEET BEYOND THE INBOARD SECTION. THE WING WAS FO UND UPRIGHT AND APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN FROM THE INBOARD SECTION. THE WING WAS FOUND UPRIGHT AND APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN FROM THE INBOARD SECTION AT THE INBOARD END OF THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. APPROXIMATELY 110 INCHES OF THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING WAS DESTROYED DUE TO FIRE. AN INSPECTION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THIS WING SECTION REVEALED AN IMAPCT AT THE WING TIP THAT APPEARED TO HAVE CAUSED THE OUTBOARD THREE FEET OF THE WING TO BEND UP SLIGHTLY. A "U" SHAPED SECTION OF THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET IN LENGTH WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET FROM AND IN LINE WITH THE BURNT SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED, APPROXIMATELY 265 FEET FROM AND IN LINE WITH THE BURNT SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL OF FUEL AND THAT THERE WAS A LARGE GOUGE IN THE LEADING EDGE APPROXIMATELY 30 INCHES FROM THE ROOT OF THE WING. THE LEFT SIDE PILOT'S WINDOW AND CABIN AREA SHOWED SEVERE SCRATCHING, APPARENTLY CAUSED BY THE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED SECTION OF FENCE. THE FUSELAGE SHOWED RELATIVELY MINOR DAMAGE, SIMILAR TO WHAT COULD BE EXPECTED FROM GEAR UP LANDING. THE PROPELLER WAS SEVERELY BENT BACK AND HAD CONTACTED THE ENGINE COWLING. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS MISSING THE RIGHT WING AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED. SECTIONS OF WING SPAR AND THE RIGHT FLAP REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS NOTED. AN INSPECTION OF THE CABIN INTERIOR REVEALED NO OTHER DAMAGE OR AIRCRAFT ABNORMALITIES. ENGINE AND FLIGHT INSTRUMENT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN INTACT AND OPERATING PROPERLY AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE THROTTLE WAS FOUND IN THE IDLE, POSITION, AND THE MIXTURE AND PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE ALL FORWARD. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS FOUND IN THE UP POSITION AND THE FLAP HANDLE AND INDICATOR SHOWED THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED 10 DEGREES FOR TAKEOFF. A FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE CONTENTS OF THE CABIN INTERIOR REVEALED OUT OF DATE INSTRUMENT PUBLICATION. ## 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 NYC00LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA066), Jan 11, 2000: Piper PA-46-310P (N9103N), Bradford, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate ice/frost removal from the aircraft. ## Other reports on N9103N (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20101230055219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101230055219A), Dec 30, 2010: Piper PA-46-310P (N9103N), Milaca, MN, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Upon arrival at the scene the aircraft was located approximately ¼ mile south of 150th avenue in a pasture area, the aircraft was oriented in an upright… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.