20070324004519A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301 · Jacksonville, MD · March 24, 2007

Date: March 24, 2007 · 09:19 local
Place: Jacksonville, MD
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N324ST
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC07FA083
Reported as: Piper PA32R301
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 575 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N324STRegistration cancelled Sep 12, 2012 · New Piper PA-32R-301S/N 3246237 · Built 2006 Airframe modelNew Piper PA-32R-301 Engine modelLycoming IO-540-K1G5Reciprocating

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) Aircraft took off from harford county airport in churchville (0W3). People in the area did not see the aircraft crash but heard the impact. Aircraft appeared to have dove straight in. The crash site is pretty much contained in a small area. There were 3 people on board and all had fatal injuries. The aircraft had full fuel when it departed 0W3. There was one eyewitness statement that said the aircraft dove out of the clouds and then climbed back up into the clouds. Many eyewitness statements stating that the aircraft was heard to be noisy as in a dive then getting quiet as in a climb. Some statements as to a loud whine as if in a dive. Wreckage was contained in a small area. All aircraft items were accounted for. Control continuity was established. The pilot's logbook was not available to verify times for this report. The NTSB just found the log and had not looked it over at this time (4/12/07).

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM HARFORD COUNTY AIRPORT IN CHURCHVILLE (0W3). PEOPLE IN THE AREA DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT CRASH BUT HEARD THE IMPACT. AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE DOVE STRAIGHT IN. THE CRASH SITE IS PRETTY MUCH CONTAINED IN A SMALL AREA. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD AND ALL HAD FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FULL FUEL WHEN IT DEPARTED 0W3. THERE WAS ONE EYEWITNESS STATEMENT THAT SAID THE AIRCRAFT DOVE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND THEN CLIMBED BACK UP INTO THE CLOUDS. MANY EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS STATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEARD TO BE NOISY AS IN A DIVE THEN GETTING QUIET AS IN A CLIMB. SOME STATEMENTS AS TO A LOUD WHINE AS IF IN A DIVE. WRECKAGE WAS CONTAINED IN A SMALL AREA. ALL AIRCRAFT ITEMS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO VERIFY TIMES FOR THIS REPORT. THE NTSB JUST FOUND THE LOG AND HAD NOT LOOKED IT OVER AT THIS TIME (4/12/07).

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 NYC07FA083Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportJacksonville, MDThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which was a result of spatial disorientation after takeoff into instrument conditions with an operationally degraded electronic primary flight display. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s…Mar 24, 2007 · Destroyed