# Accident 20010201009069A: Piper PA32300, Marathon, FL, February 1, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 1, 2001, 19:51 local time
- Place: Marathon, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 24.9022° N, 80.9347° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=24.9022&lon=-80.9347&mi=10
- Aircraft: N99WD, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N99WD-2013-08-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1A5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 1,586 total, 1,375 in this make and model, 166 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01GA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01GA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010201009069A

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 MIA01GA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01GA070), Feb 2, 2001: Piper PA-32-300 (N99WD), Marathon, FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The 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.

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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