# Accident 20050912021019A: Piper PA46500TP, Rangeley, ME, September 12, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 12, 2005, 09:30 local time
- Place: Rangeley, ME
- Airport: Rangeley Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.7789° N, 70.7894° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.7789&lon=-70.7894&mi=10
- Aircraft: N747AW (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46500TP
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 300 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD05LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA138) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050912021019A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 09/12/2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 0930, N747AW, A PIPER MODEL PA46-500TP, DEPARTED RANGELEY, MAINE (8B0) TO ALLENTOWN, PA (ABE). APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MILES SW OF 8B0, THE AUTO PILOT, AN S-TECH MODEL MAGIC 1500, WAS TURNED ON AT 1000 FT. AND THE HEADING BUG AND CLIMB SET AT 700 FT/MINUTE. WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 5000 FT AND THE HEADING BUG SET TO 30 DEGREES RIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT SNAPPED (ROLLED) SEVERELY RIGHT. PILOT "OVERPOWERED" THE AUTO PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A SEVERE YAW AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT ESTIMATES LOSING 1800 FT BEFORE RECOVERY AT 200 FT. PILOT THEN EXECUTED TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS TO DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HIS PASSENGERS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED TO ITS DESTINATION, ALLENTOWN, PA. THE NEXT DAY THE OWNER/PILOT CONTACTED HIS MAINTENANCE COMPANY (SKYTEC, MARTIN STATE AIRPORT, MIDDLE RIVER, MD). A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION FOUND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS. NTSB, PIPER AIRCRAFT AND S-TECH (MFG OF THE AUTO PILOT) NOTIFIED.

## 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 IAD05LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA138), Sep 12, 2005: Piper PA-46-500TP (N747AW), Rangeley, ME, substantial damage. Probable cause: A malfunction of the yaw damper system due to fluid contamination. Factors in the accident were the air condition exhaust vent design and the design stress limits of the airplane were exceeded.

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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