# Accident 20000525010399A: Piper PA28161, Chapel Hill, NC, May 25, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 25, 2000, 10:45 local time
- Place: Chapel Hill, NC
- Airport: Horace Williams Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.9207° N, 79.0393° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9207&lon=-79.0393&mi=10
- Aircraft: N47561, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N47561-2000-12-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320D3G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,708 total, 534 in this make and model, 167 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA171) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000525010399A

## Narrative

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

(-23) WHILE ON SHORT FINAL FOR THE CHAPEL HILL AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT AT 300 AGL AND 1/4 MILE FINAL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT.  THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT WINGS JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.                         (.4)ACCORDING TO THE CFI, HE AND THE STUDENT OBTAINED THEIR PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING VIA THE FLIGHT SCHOOL'S COMPUTER/CIRRUS WX SOFTWARE, AND WERE ADVISED THAT PRESENT WEATHER WAS GOOD BUT BE ALERT TO AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THEY DEPARTED, THE LOCAL AFSS WAS ADVISING SUBSEQUENT FLIGHTS, 'A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST MUCH MORE QUICKLY THAN ANTICIPATED', AND TO RECONSIDER FLYING AT THAT TIME. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT COMPLETED THEIR FIRST LEG SUCCESSFULLY, BUT ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTEDLY STRONG WINDS ON THEIR RETURN LEG'S APPROACH FOR LANDING. DESPITE THE CFI'S ASSUMING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, ALTITUDE AND HEADING CONTROL WAS LOST WHEN ENCOUNTERING SEVERELY GUSTING WINDS AND THE FLIGHT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN SHORT OF THE INTENDED LANDING POINT.

## 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 MIA00LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA171), May 25, 2000: Piper PA-28-161 (N47561), Chapel Hill, NC, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the CFI to delay his landing until the approaching line of thunderstorms passed, causing the flight to encounter severely gusting wind conditions resulting in the loss of altitude…

## Other reports on N47561 (1)

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

- [Incident 19810130016039I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810130016039I), Jan 30, 1981: Piper PA28161 (N47561), Klossner, MN, Minor damage. During go-around the aircraft struck tree top. Minor damage to wing tip.

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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