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20030613016839A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-31P · Augusta, GA · June 13, 2003

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Date
June 13, 2003 · 13:01 local
Place
Augusta, GA
Airport
Bush Field
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N577FS
Reported as
Piper PA31P
Reported engine
Lycoming TIGO541E1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
8,000 total10 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N577FSRegistration cancelled Mar 25, 2013 · Piper PA-31PS/N 31P-7730008 · Built 1977Airframe modelPiper PA-31PEngine modelLycoming TIGO-541SERReciprocating

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 June 16, 2003, at approximately 1301 EDT, a Piper PA-31-P, crashed into a swamp and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Augusta regional Bush Field Airport, Augusta, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial pilot and passenger received fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The flight departed runway 35 enroute to belmont, Mississippi. During climb out, the pilot reported and engine problem, and the air traffic controller cleared the flight to land on any runway. No further radio transmissions were received from the pilot. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying low, north of the airport, and engine noises were described as "erratic" and "skipping". A witness at the airport stated the aircraft appeared to use half of the 8,000 foot runway on takeoff roll, and the climb out appeared very flat. The witness stated the aircraft was low over the trees, pitched up, the right wing dropped, and crashed into trees, and exploded.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 16, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 1301 EDT, A PIPER PA-31-P, CRASHED INTO A SWAMP AND BURST INTO FLAMES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD AIRPORT, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED RUNWAY 35 ENROUTE TO BELMONT, MISSISSIPPI. DURING CLIMB OUT, THE PILOT REPORTED AND ENGINE PROBLEM, AND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING LOW, NORTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND ENGINE NOISES WERE DESCRIBED AS "ERRATIC" AND "SKIPPING". A WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT STATED THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO USE HALF OF THE 8,000 FOOT RUNWAY ON TAKEOFF ROLL, AND THE CLIMB OUT APPEARED VERY FLAT. THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW OVER THE TREES, PITCHED UP, THE RIGHT WING DROPPED, AND CRASHED INTO TREES, AND EXPLODED.