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20010201009069A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Marathon, FL · February 1, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 1, 2001 · 19:51 local
Place
Marathon, FL
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N99WD
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA01GA070
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
1,586 total1,375 in this make and model166 in the last 90 days
N99WDRegistration cancelled Aug 23, 2013 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7540031 · Built 1974Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine 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)Radar data reveals that coast guard 2135 started a right turn to the north at 00:47:32 (19:47:32 EST) and was at an altitude to 1000 feet. At 00:47:20, N99WD is south bound at 1600 feet in a slight left turn south bound and then starts a turn back to the right at 00:48:08. The airplane is observed to make another left and right turn maintain 1600 feet. At 00:49:47, N99WD starts a left turn and stops the turn on a north EST heading at 1500 feet. At 00:50:47, N99WD starts a right turn. The lest recorded radar hit is at 00:51:08, at 1500 feet. (.4) the accident pilot was conducting a night intercept training mission with a coast guard airplane. The accident pilot stated that it was getting a bit hazy and informed the coast guard pilot that he would be breaking off and turning to the north to get separation for another intercept. The coast guard airplane accelerated and asked the accident pilot to proceed north at a slower airspeed to allow separation. The accident pilot responded I'm IMC maintaining 180 degrees. The coast guard pilot informed the accident pilot that they were well to the north and there was no conflict. There was no other radio communication with the accident pilot. Review of radar data revealed that the accident airplane continued south bound at 1,600 feet before making a slight left turn followed by a turn back to the right at 00:48:08. The airplane made another turn to the left and back to the right. At 00:49:47, the airplane is observed to start a left turn, and stops on a north heading at 1,500 feet. At 00:50:47, the airplane is observed to start a right turn. The last recorded radar hit is at 00:51:08, at 1,500 feet. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories , vacuum pump and flight instruments revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Review of the pilot's log book revealed the pilot was awarded an instrument rating on December 23, 2000, and had flown two flights consisting of .8 since obtaining the instrument rating.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)RADAR DATA REVEALS THAT COAST GUARD 2135 STARTED A RIGHT TURN TO THE NORTH AT 00:47:32 (19:47:32 EST) AND WAS AT AN ALTITUDE TO 1000 FEET. AT 00:47:20, N99WD IS SOUTH BOUND AT 1600 FEET IN A SLIGHT LEFT TURN SOUTH BOUND AND THEN STARTS A TURN BACK TO THE RIGHT AT 00:48:08. THE AIRPLANE IS OBSERVED TO MAKE ANOTHER LEFT AND RIGHT TURN MAINTAIN 1600 FEET. AT 00:49:47, N99WD STARTS A LEFT TURN AND STOPS THE TURN ON A NORTH EST HEADING AT 1500 FEET. AT 00:50:47, N99WD STARTS A RIGHT TURN. THE LEST RECORDED RADAR HIT IS AT 00:51:08, AT 1500 FEET. (.4) THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A NIGHT INTERCEPT TRAINING MISSION WITH A COAST GUARD AIRPLANE. THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS GETTING A BIT HAZY AND INFORMED THE COAST GUARD PILOT THAT HE WOULD BE BREAKING OFF AND TURNING TO THE NORTH TO GET SEPARATION FOR ANOTHER INTERCEPT. THE COAST GUARD AIRPLANE ACCELERATED AND ASKED THE ACCIDENT PILOT TO PROCEED NORTH AT A SLOWER AIRSPEED TO ALLOW SEPARATION. THE ACCIDENT PILOT RESPONDED I'M IMC MAINTAINING 180 DEGREES. THE COAST GUARD PILOT INFORMED THE ACCIDENT PILOT THAT THEY WERE WELL TO THE NORTH AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. THERE WAS NO OTHER RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACCIDENT PILOT. REVIEW OF RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE CONTINUED SOUTH BOUND AT 1,600 FEET BEFORE MAKING A SLIGHT LEFT TURN FOLLOWED BY A TURN BACK TO THE RIGHT AT 00:48:08. THE AIRPLANE MADE ANOTHER TURN TO THE LEFT AND BACK TO THE RIGHT. AT 00:49:47, THE AIRPLANE IS OBSERVED TO START A LEFT TURN, AND STOPS ON A NORTH HEADING AT 1,500 FEET. AT 00:50:47, THE AIRPLANE IS OBSERVED TO START A RIGHT TURN. THE LAST RECORDED RADAR HIT IS AT 00:51:08, AT 1,500 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND ACCESSORIES , VACUUM PUMP AND FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOG BOOK REVEALED THE PILOT WAS AWARDED AN INSTRUMENT RATING ON DECEMBER 23, 2000, AND HAD FLOWN TWO FLIGHTS CONSISTING OF .8 SINCE OBTAINING THE INSTRUMENT RATING.

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 MIA01GA070Accident · 2 fatalFinal reportMarathon, FLThe pilot-in-command's lack of recent experience in instrument flight resulting in the pilot becoming spatially disoriented, and subsequent in-flight collision with water while descending.Feb 2, 2001 · Destroyed