# Accident 20010115000779A: Piper PA22108, Falmouth, MA, January 15, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 15, 2001, 19:45 local time - Place: Falmouth, MA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.5606° N, 70.6191° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5606&lon=-70.6191&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5391Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5391Z-2006-09-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-22-108 (registry code 7102204, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA22108 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 15,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC01LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA132) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010115000779A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) A PILOT DEVIATION WAS FILED WHEN N5391Z, PA-22-108, TAXIED TO AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 17 VFR, FROM NORWOOD AIRPORT MA, 1612 EST, 1/15/01, WITHOUT A CLEARENCE. WEATHER WAS REPORTED IFR AT THE TIME. NO CONFLICTS RESULTED. ALNOT SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED FOR AIRCRAFT DUE TO FAMILY CONCERN. WITHOUT PERMISSION FOR A VFR FLIGHT AND WITHOUT FILING AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FORM NORWOOD AIRPORT, SUPPOSEDLY HEADING FOR QUONSET STATE AIRPORT IN NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI. MOTORIST TRAVELING INTERSTATE 495 NEAR THE JUNCTION OF ROUTE 24, WERE ALARMED BY WHAT THEY SAW, THEY SAID "AN AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE OVER THE HIGHWAY." STATE TROOPERS IN DARTMOUTH STARTED FIELDING REPORTS FROM DRIVERS WITH CELLULAR TELEPHONE REPORTS CONCERING A "VERY LOW" FLYING AIRCRAFT. AT ABOUT 16:50 MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE IN BOURNE, MA REPORTED A SIMILAR SIGHTING ON ROUTE 28 TOWARDS FALMOUTH, MA. SOON AFTER CALLERS TOLD THE STATE POLICE THAT A PLANE HAD CLIPPED A POWER LINE THAT STRADDLES ROUTE 28 NEAR THE FALMOUTH/BOURNE LINE, THE POLICE SAID. AT 16:56 POWER IN BOTH TOWNS WENT SHORT. STATE POLICE SUBSEQUENTLY SAW THE UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT OVER THE OCEAN, HEADED TOWARD MARTHA'S VI NEYARD." THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETECTED BY RADAR ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. AT ABOUT 19:30 CALLERS TOLD THE FALMOUTH POLICE ABOUT AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS SAID TO BE CIRCLING THE AIRPORT IN EAST FALMOUTH (FALMOUTH AIRPARK), BUT POLICE FOUND NOTHING. AT 19:45 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AGAIN DETECTED WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MR. WARNER HENDRIX'S AIRCRAFT OUT OVER THE OCEAN. AS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WERNER HEDRIX WOULD HAVE BEEN LOW ON FUEL, SHIPS FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD AND AT LEAST ONE HELICOPTER, A HH-60 JAYHAWK, SEARCHED FOR MR. WERNER HEDRIX IN AREA WATERS MONDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 15, 2001. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT ARE STILL MISSING, THE NTSB HAS ASSIGNED A TEMPORARY IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THE NTSB WILL NOT CALL THIS AN ACCIDENT UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT AND/OR PILOT HAVE BEEN FOUND. THERE IS ALSO INFORMATION FROM THE FAA FORM 8020-23 THAT INCLUDES, REGULATORY CHECK RIDE DATES, TOTAL HOURS USED AT ACCIDENT SCENE, TOTAL TRAVEL HOURS TO AND FROM SCENE, FAA NINE RESPONSIBILITIES, AIRCRAFT DAMAGE, AND INJURY SUMMARY. (-23 AMENDMENT) THIS IS THE "SECOND AMENDMENT" TO THIS ACCIDENT. THE NEW NTSB ACCIDENT NUMBER IS NYC01LA132, THE OLD NTSB ACCIDENT NUMBER WAS NYC01FAM S1. THE PILOT WAS FOUND MAY 28, 2001 AT 08:30AM, THREE MILES NORTH OF CUTTYHUNK, THE MOST REMOTE ISLAND IN THE ELIZABETH ISLANDS CHAIN IN BUZZARDS BAY MA. THE PILOT HAS BEEN POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS FRED WARNER HENDRIX OF NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 001 693567. ## 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 NYC01LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA132), Jan 16, 2001: Piper PA-22-108 (N5391Z), Falmouth, MA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to takeoff and attempt VFR flight in IMC conditions. 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.