# Accident 20121013023219A: Piper PA-23-250, Charlotte Amali, VI, October 13, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 13, 2012, 05:00 local time
- Place: Charlotte Amali, VI
- Airport: Ciryl E. King
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 18.2408° N, 65.0553° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.2408&lon=-65.0553&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5553Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5553Y-2018-03-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-250
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 18,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA019) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121013023219A

## Narrative

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

ONE PASSENGER SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS FOUND AT SEA. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.  RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE TARGET IDENTIFIED AS THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO 1,700 FEET AFTER DEPARTURE FROM TISX, WHERE IT LEVELED IN CRUISE FLIGHT ON A 330 DEGREE HEADING FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A STEADY DESCENT ON THE SAME APPROXIMATE HEADING FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES UNTIL IT LEVELED AT 200 FEET. THE AIRPLANE CRUISED AT 200 FEET FOR THE FINAL 18 SECONDS OF THE FLIGHT UNTIL THE RADAR TARGET DISAPPEARED, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. SURVIVOR STATED THAT  DURING THE EN ROUTE PORTION, THE AIRPLANE FLEW PROGRESSIVELY LOWER TO "GET UNDER THE WEATHER." LIGHTS ON THE SHORE NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT COULD BE SEEN BUT IT WAS RAINING. SHE RECALLED LIGHT TURBULENCE, AND OBSERVED THE PILOT AS HE MADE HIS "USUAL" RADIO CALL. SHE RECALLS THE AIRPLANE "HITTING A WALL" AND "SEEING A FLASH" BEFORE THE AIRPLANE FILLED WITH WATER. WHEN ASKED IF SHE NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL WITH THE FLIGHT BEFORE IMPACT OR ANY PILOT WARNING BEFORE STRIKING THE WATER, SHE SAID NO, INDICATING EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL.

## 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 ERA13LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA019), Oct 13, 2012: Piper PA-23-250 (N5553Y), Charlotte Amalie, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's attempted visual flight rules (VFR) flight into marginal VFR conditions on a dark night over water and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude, which resulted in the airplane’s…

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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