20000326006889A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-260 · Panama City, FL · March 26, 2000

Date: March 26, 2000 · 18:30 local
Place: Panama City, FL
Airport: Panama City-Bay County
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N9204P
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA00FA118
Reported as: Piper PA24260
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N9204PRegistration cancelled Sep 1, 2000 · Piper PA-24-260S/N 24-4699 Airframe modelPiper PA-24-260

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.

(-23) Mishap a/c departed jasper airport, AL. Destination bay county international airport (pfn), Panama City, FL. With an enroute stop at luverne, AL. (04A). Inbound to pfn the mishap pilot encountered moderate to severe weather. Pilot was approx. six miles nw of the airport and in contact with pfn tower controller. Pfn relayed to pilot that ceiling was 800 feet and field was IFR. Pfn asked pilot if the airport was in sight. The pilot reported he was VFR flight at 900 feet, runway not in sight. Pfn tower controller directed the a/c to turn north and contact jacksonville ARTCC (zjx). Contact was nade with zjx, they directed the a/c to climb and establish VFR. Apparently the mishap pilot became diroriented while in a left turn and flew into the water. The a/c disappeared from radar at 1813 hours and 8 seconds. The a/c impacted the water approx. 3 miles nw of the airport and was destroyed. Wreckage was located in west bay area within a three hundred feet radius of impact point.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MISHAP A/C DEPARTED JASPER AIRPORT, AL. DESTINATION BAY COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PFN), PANAMA CITY, FL. WITH AN ENROUTE STOP AT LUVERNE, AL. (04A). INBOUND TO PFN THE MISHAP PILOT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE WEATHER. PILOT WAS APPROX. SIX MILES NW OF THE AIRPORT AND IN CONTACT WITH PFN TOWER CONTROLLER. PFN RELAYED TO PILOT THAT CEILING WAS 800 FEET AND FIELD WAS IFR. PFN ASKED PILOT IF THE AIRPORT WAS IN SIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS VFR FLIGHT AT 900 FEET, RUNWAY NOT IN SIGHT. PFN TOWER CONTROLLER DIRECTED THE A/C TO TURN NORTH AND CONTACT JACKSONVILLE ARTCC (ZJX). CONTACT WAS NADE WITH ZJX, THEY DIRECTED THE A/C TO CLIMB AND ESTABLISH VFR. APPARENTLY THE MISHAP PILOT BECAME DIRORIENTED WHILE IN A LEFT TURN AND FLEW INTO THE WATER. THE A/C DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT 1813 HOURS AND 8 SECONDS. THE A/C IMPACTED THE WATER APPROX. 3 MILES NW OF THE AIRPORT AND WAS DESTROYED. WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN WEST BAY AREA WITHIN A THREE HUNDRED FEET RADIUS OF IMPACT POINT.

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 MIA00FA118Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPanama City, FLThe pilot experiencing spatial disorientation while reversing course during a dark night while over water which resul;ted in an in-flight collision with water. A factor was the dark night lighting conditions.Mar 27, 2000 · Destroyed