# Accident 20070421008879A: Piper PA23250, Ft Lauderdale, FL, April 21, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 21, 2007, 09:10 local time
- Place: Ft Lauderdale, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.6345° N, 72.8620° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6345&lon=-72.8620&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4TR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4TR-2015-05-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 5
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA07LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07LA084) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070421008879A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, ENROUTE TO THE BAHAMAS WITH FOUR FRIENDS FOR AN INTENDED FISHING TRIP. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, WAS A LOW TIME PILOT, AND EVEN MORE RECENTLY JUST RECEIVED HIS MULTIENGINE CERTIFICATION. ALL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW INTO AN APPROXIMATE LEVEL 4 THUNDERSTORM. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE TRACK SHEETS INDICATE THAT THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT BECAME SEVERELY ERRATIC, APPARENTLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED VERTIGO AND CRASHED INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND KILLING ALL INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOT HAVING AN INSTRUMENT RATING AND NOT CIRCUMNAVIGATING A THUNDERSTORM, THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MINIMAL FLIGHT TIME AND EXPERIENCE IN A MULTIENGINE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER NOT SUGGESTING ALTERNATE FLIGHT PATHS AROUND A THUNDERSTORM.

## 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 MIA07LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07LA084), Apr 21, 2007: Piper PA-23-250 (N4TR), Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), destroyed, 5 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into known adverse weather conditions, resulting in an in-flight loss of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident were thunderstorms.

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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