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20110724014329A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA 46-350P · Rantoul, IL · July 24, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 24, 2011 · 09:22 local
Place
Rantoul, IL
Airport
Rantoul Natl Avn Cntr-Frank El
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N46TW
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11FA500
Reported as
Piper PA 46-350P
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,917 total1,200 in this make and model
N46TWRegistration cancelled Oct 19, 2017 · Piper PA 46-350PS/N 4622071Airframe modelPiper PA 46-350P

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.

The pilot of N46TW, a PA-46 aircraft, conducted a takeoff maneuver on runway 27 at the Rantoul, Illinois airport (ktip), at approximately 0922 local time, for an IFR flight to Florida. Shortly after takeoff, and while still in the vicinity of the Rantoul airport, the aircraft encountered the leading edge of an area of adverse weather associated with an advancing storm system.a witness statement indicated that, as the aircraft began a turn to the south, strong winds from the northwest appeared to "push" the tail of the airplane up and the nose down. The aircraft descended quickly towards the ground, striking power lines and impacting the terrain whereas it burst into flames approximately 1/4 mile to the south of the runway. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and fatal injuries to all occupants. At 0915 local time the winds on the sufrace of the airport were reported to be from the northwest, (300 degrees) at 14 knots with gusts to 21 knots and lightning distant north and northwest.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT OF N46TW, A PA-46 AIRCRAFT, CONDUCTED A TAKEOFF MANEUVER ON RUNWAY 27 AT THE RANTOUL, ILLINOIS AIRPORT (KTIP), AT APPROXIMATELY 0922 LOCAL TIME, FOR AN IFR FLIGHT TO FLORIDA. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AND WHILE STILL IN THE VICINITY OF THE RANTOUL AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED THE LEADING EDGE OF AN AREA OF ADVERSE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH AN ADVANCING STORM SYSTEM.A WITNESS STATEMENT INDICATED THAT, AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A TURN TO THE SOUTH, STRONG WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST APPEARED TO "PUSH" THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE UP AND THE NOSE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED QUICKLY TOWARDS THE GROUND, STRIKING POWER LINES AND IMPACTING THE TERRAIN WHEREAS IT BURST INTO FLAMES APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE TO THE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FATAL INJURIES TO ALL OCCUPANTS. AT 0915 LOCAL TIME THE WINDS ON THE SUFRACE OF THE AIRPORT WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM THE NORTHWEST, (300 DEGREES) AT 14 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 21 KNOTS AND LIGHTNING DISTANT NORTH AND NORTHWEST.

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 CEN11FA500Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportRantoul, ILThe pilot did not maintain airplane control during takeoff with approaching thunderstorms. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to depart into adverse weather conditions.Jul 24, 2011 · Substantial damage