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20060625012949A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-220T · Tafton, PA · June 25, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 25, 2006 · 12:50 local
Place
Tafton, PA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N8371X
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC06FA155
Reported as
Piper PA34220T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO360*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
1,727 total28 in this make and model42 in the last 90 days
N8371XRegistration cancelled Jun 18, 2007 · Piper PA-34-220TS/N 34-8133063 · Built 1981Airframe modelPiper PA-34-220TEngine modelContinental TSIO-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) The aircraft departed gso on 06/25/06 at 1015 local time enroute to sfm on an IFR flight plan with full fuel and three people onboard. Radar data indicates the aircraft was on a northeasterly heading at 6,900 feet over Tafton, PA in instrument meteorological conditions, with moderate rain when it appeared to descend, and turn sharply to a northwesterly heading. Radar contact was lost at 5,300 feet. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft descending at a high rate of speed with the engines "revving", they reported hearing two "pops", and observed aircraft parts and other debris falling. The aircraft impacted at approximately an 80 degree nose down angle shortly after in a wooded area at approximately 1250 local time, with a debris field of approximately 75 feet except for the two wings that separated outboard of both engines and came to rest approximately 1/8 mile from the main wreckage in-line with the aircraft's flight path. Engine teardown did not reveal any engine problems, and the aircraft manufacturer found no anomalies other than those caused by overstressing the airframe. The coroner stated there was no immediate evidence of stroke or heart problems with the pilot in command.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED GSO ON 06/25/06 AT 1015 LOCAL TIME ENROUTE TO SFM ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH FULL FUEL AND THREE PEOPLE ONBOARD. RADAR DATA INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING AT 6,900 FEET OVER TAFTON, PA IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WITH MODERATE RAIN WHEN IT APPEARED TO DESCEND, AND TURN SHARPLY TO A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 5,300 FEET. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITH THE ENGINES "REVVING", THEY REPORTED HEARING TWO "POPS", AND OBSERVED AIRCRAFT PARTS AND OTHER DEBRIS FALLING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AT APPROXIMATELY AN 80 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ANGLE SHORTLY AFTER IN A WOODED AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 1250 LOCAL TIME, WITH A DEBRIS FIELD OF APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET EXCEPT FOR THE TWO WINGS THAT SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF BOTH ENGINES AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1/8 MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE IN-LINE WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT PATH. ENGINE TEARDOWN DID NOT REVEAL ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS, AND THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER FOUND NO ANOMALIES OTHER THAN THOSE CAUSED BY OVERSTRESSING THE AIRFRAME. THE CORONER STATED THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE EVIDENCE OF STROKE OR HEART PROBLEMS WITH THE PILOT IN COMMAND.

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 NYC06FA155Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportTafton, PAThe pilot's inadvertent encounter with a thunderstorm, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control, and a subsequent in-flight breakup.Jun 25, 2006 · Destroyed

Other reports on N8371X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19940109004029IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Orlando, FLNarrative: taxi to rwy 36L- left prop struck runway edge light- removed 2 inches of left prop blade. Pilot lined up between center line and edge lights struck edge light on take-off. Aborted take-off and returned to ramp. [privacy data omitted]Jan 9, 1994 · Minor damage