20000815015799A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Lumber City, GA · August 15, 2000

Date: August 15, 2000 · 08:27 local
Place: Lumber City, GA
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ETUA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N801MW
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL00FA081
Reported as: Piper PA31350
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3

N801MWRegistration cancelled Apr 16, 2013 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-8152136 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) On August 15, 2000, at approx. 0830 EDT, a Piper PA-31-350, N801 mw collided with trees 3.7 miles nw of hazelhurst airport. The impact with the trees severed a section of the left outboard wing approx. five feet long. After the initial impact with the trees the a/c remained in the air and became inverted before colliding with a small pine tree just before impacting the ground. The a/c came to a stop approx. 130 ft from impact. After coming to rest, the a/c began to burn and sustained severe fire damage. The pilot had filed an IFR flight plan and had been cleared for approach into hazelhurst airport by controllers at jacksonville center. The flight originated in dotham, AL.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 15, 2000, AT APPROX. 0830 EDT, A PIPER PA-31-350, N801 MW COLLIDED WITH TREES 3.7 MILES NW OF HAZELHURST AIRPORT. THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES SEVERED A SECTION OF THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING APPROX. FIVE FEET LONG. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE TREES THE A/C REMAINED IN THE AIR AND BECAME INVERTED BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A SMALL PINE TREE JUST BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE A/C CAME TO A STOP APPROX. 130 FT FROM IMPACT. AFTER COMING TO REST, THE A/C BEGAN TO BURN AND SUSTAINED SEVERE FIRE DAMAGE. THE PILOT HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR APPROACH INTO HAZELHURST AIRPORT BY CONTROLLERS AT JACKSONVILLE CENTER. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN DOTHAM, AL.

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 ATL00FA081Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportLumber City, GAPilot's failure to follow instrument procedures and descended below approach minimums and collided with trees. A factor was low clouds.Aug 15, 2000 · Destroyed