20030717015749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA34200T · Whitebird, ID · July 17, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 17, 2003
Place: Whitebird, ID
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: CGBEN
Reported as: Piper PA34200T
Reported engine: Continental TSIO360EB
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,250 total407 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) On July 17, 2003 a PA34-200T under canadian registry c-gben at approximately 0830 PDT crashed and was substantially damaged near Whitebird, ID. The pilot was fatally injured in the crash. The aircraft initially impacted trees causing separation of wings and stabilator, the aircraft then impacted the ground in a nose low/right wing low attitude. The aircraft then skidded approximately 285 feet shedding both engines, most of the nose section forward of the pilot/co-pilot seats, and tail surfaces. Both propellers were separated from their respective engines. The fuselage came to rest against several mid sized trees. No fuel was found at the wreck site, however all fuel cavities in the left wing were breached and all fuel lines in the right hand wing panel were open to the atmosphere.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 17, 2003 A PA34-200T UNDER CANADIAN REGISTRY C-GBEN AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 PDT CRASHED AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED NEAR WHITEBIRD, ID. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY IMPACTED TREES CAUSING SEPARATION OF WINGS AND STABILATOR, THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW/RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 285 FEET SHEDDING BOTH ENGINES, MOST OF THE NOSE SECTION FORWARD OF THE PILOT/CO-PILOT SEATS, AND TAIL SURFACES. BOTH PROPELLERS WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE ENGINES. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST AGAINST SEVERAL MID SIZED TREES. NO FUEL WAS FOUND AT THE WRECK SITE, HOWEVER ALL FUEL CAVITIES IN THE LEFT WING WERE BREACHED AND ALL FUEL LINES IN THE RIGHT HAND WING PANEL WERE OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE.