# Accident 20120630017259A: Piper PA-31P, Dalton, GA, June 30, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 30, 2012, 16:30 local time - Place: Dalton, GA - Airport: Dalton Municipal - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.7269° N, 84.8872° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7269&lon=-84.8872&mi=10 - Aircraft: N33CG, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N33CG-2018-01-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31P (registry code 7103120, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TIGO-541SER (registry code 41539, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tigo-541ser) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31P - Reported engine: LYCOMING TIGO-541SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,685 total, 180 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12FA423](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA423) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120630017259A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 30, 2012 THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED THAT AIRCRAFT N33CG CRASHED AT 16:30 LOCAL TIME BY THE FAA ROC. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS A PIPER NAVAJO PA-31P, N33CG (SN 31P-7300157). THIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE WEST OF THE DALTON AIRPORT (DNN). ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BE FLYING AT LESS THAN 500 FEET WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE INOPERATIVE JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. ANOTHER WITNESS DESCRIBED AN AIRCRAFT AT 300 FEET AND DESCENDING WITH AN ENGINE AT HIGH RPM. THERE WERE ALSO WITNESSES AT DALTON AIRPORT THAT OBSERVED A NORMAL DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 32 WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEMS ON TAKEOFF. THESE WITNESSES WERE ALSO CONSISTENT IN REPORTING THAT AFTER TAKE OFF, THEY OBSERVED "SMOKE BEHIND THE TREES" TO THE SOUTHWEST MINUTES LATER. THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE WERE MEMBERS OF THE GORDON COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND MR. DONALD L. HOLBROOK WAS FATALLY INJURED DURING THE CRASH ALONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED BY CRASH FORCES AND POST CRASH FIRE. MR. HOLBROOK HOLDS AN FAA PILOT CERTIFICATE #3609274, MULTI AND SINGLE ENGINE LAND. THE TIME IN THIS MODEL IS 180 HOURS. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS MR. HOLBROOK HAS APPROXIMATELY 1685 HOURS TOTAL TIME. THIS INFORMATION WAS REPORTED AS OF 05/16/2012. MR. HOLBROOK WAS ISSUED A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON 05/16/2012. THE PIC HAD APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DUE BY 07/01/2012 AND WAS PREVIOUSLY COMPLIED WITH ON 06/18/2011 AT A TOTAL TIME OF 4445.6 HOURS. THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINES HAD 981.5 HOURS TBO AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS INSTALLED IN OVERHAULED CONDITION DURING THE LAST ANNUAL. THE WEATHER WAS VMC AND THE LAST REPORTED WEATHER AT DALTON (DNN) 1615 WAS 10 MILES VISIBILITY, CLEAR SKIES, TEMP 39 DEGREES C, DEW POINT 15C, ALTIMETER 29.87" HG. THE FIELD ELEVATION OF 709 FEET ADJUSTED TO A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3844 FEET. AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 LOCAL, N33CG A PIPER PA-31P CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM DALTON AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY POST CRASH FIRE AND HEAVILY DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UP RIGHT, IN A FLAT ATTITUDE, ON A COURSE OF ABOUT 106 DEGREES. THE FORWARD SECTION INCLUDING THE COCK PIT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE ENGINES WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND CONSUMED BY FIRE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED TO THE BURNED AREAS. DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE ENGINES AND THE POST CRASH FIRE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE DATA PLATE WAS VERIFIED AND REMAINS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. ## 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 ERA12FA423](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA423), Jun 30, 2012: Piper PA-31P (N33CG), Dalton, GA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control following loss of power in the right engine for reasons that could not be determined because of fire and impact damage. Contributing to the accident… ## Other reports on N33CG (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19740112000569A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740112000569A), Jan 12, 1974: Piper PA31P (N33CG), Wichita, KS, Substantial damage. Lndd in drifted snow adj to rwy. Plt recognized error too late to make a go-around. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.