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20030412011269A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Conesus, NY · April 12, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 12, 2003 · 15:00 local
Place
Conesus, NY
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8985J
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC03FA082
Reported as
Piper PA28180
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A3A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
1,100 total4 in this make and model85 in the last 90 days
N8985JRegistration cancelled Nov 20, 2014 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-3008 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 Saturday, April 12, 2002 at 1600 EDT, a Piper PA-28-180, N8985J, collided with terrain in a wooded area near Conesus, NY. The flight was conducted under part 91 with no flight plan filed. According to an interview with members of the dansville flying club, owners of the aircraft, a CFI seated in the right front seat was administering an aircraft checkout to a club member seated in the left front seat. A passenger was also seated in the rear of the aircraft. Preliminary unverified radar data obtained from the rochester ATCT facility indicated that the aircraft appeared to begin a maneuver at 3,400' MSL, followed by a rapid descent to 1,800' MSL in 19 seconds. The ground elevation is 1,825' MSL. All three occupants were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. According to witnesses at the scene of impact, the aircraft was seen pitching up, followed by the left wing dropping and the aircraft "spiraling." A post-accident investigation performed by the NTSB, Lycoming and Piper indicated that there were no airworthiness issues involved.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2002 AT 1600 EDT, A PIPER PA-28-180, N8985J, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN IN A WOODED AREA NEAR CONESUS, NY. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. ACCORDING TO AN INTERVIEW WITH MEMBERS OF THE DANSVILLE FLYING CLUB, OWNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT, A CFI SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT WAS ADMINISTERING AN AIRCRAFT CHECKOUT TO A CLUB MEMBER SEATED IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. A PASSENGER WAS ALSO SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. PRELIMINARY UNVERIFIED RADAR DATA OBTAINED FROM THE ROCHESTER ATCT FACILITY INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BEGIN A MANEUVER AT 3,400' MSL, FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DESCENT TO 1,800' MSL IN 19 SECONDS. THE GROUND ELEVATION IS 1,825' MSL. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AT THE SCENE OF IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN PITCHING UP, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT WING DROPPING AND THE AIRCRAFT "SPIRALING." A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION PERFORMED BY THE NTSB, LYCOMING AND PIPER INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES INVOLVED.

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 NYC03FA082Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportConesus, NYThe flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent spin.Apr 12, 2003 · Destroyed