20030711017019I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA31325 · State College, PA · July 11, 2003

Date
July 11, 2003 · 16:08 local
Place
State College, PA
Airport
University Park
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N3539S
Reported as
Piper PA31325
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,670 total50 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

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) During cruise flight at 11000 ft aircraft encountered turbulence and lost approximately 450 ft altitude before pilot was able to recover. Upon recovery copilot noted right engine at red line RPM, there had been no movement of either engine or prop controls. Pilot elected to declare an emergency and diverted to an intermediate airport, short of destination. An uneventful landing was accomplished. Preliminary incident report indicated that occupants of aircraft struck their heads during encounter with turbulence. Follow up investigation confirmed that there were no reportable injuries and that the aircraft sustained no damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 11000 FT AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE AND LOST APPROXIMATELY 450 FT ALTITUDE BEFORE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. UPON RECOVERY COPILOT NOTED RIGHT ENGINE AT RED LINE RPM, THERE HAD BEEN NO MOVEMENT OF EITHER ENGINE OR PROP CONTROLS. PILOT ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO AN INTERMEDIATE AIRPORT, SHORT OF DESTINATION. AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. PRELIMINARY INCIDENT REPORT INDICATED THAT OCCUPANTS OF AIRCRAFT STRUCK THEIR HEADS DURING ENCOUNTER WITH TURBULENCE. FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO REPORTABLE INJURIES AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE.