# Accident 20131226024769A: Piper PA-30, Biglerville, PA, December 26, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 2013, 05:28 local time
- Place: Biglerville, PA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9695° N, 77.2294° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9695&lon=-77.2294&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8372Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8372Y-2018-02-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 231 total, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131226024769A

## Narrative

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

THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY DEPARTED N13 (BLOOMSBURG, PA), BOUND FOR KDYB (SUMMERVILLE, SC). THE PILOT DID NOT FILE AN IFR OR VFR FLIGHT PLAN. HE OBTAINED WEATHER FORECASTS AND NOTAMS, VIA DTC DUATS, FOR KIPT (WILLIAMSPORT, PA) AND APPARENTLY FOR AN AIRPORT NEAR HIS DESTINATION. THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN FLIGHT FOLLOWING.

THE FOLLOWING TIMES ARE UTC, AND ALTITUDES ARE MSL. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED ON HARRISBURG APPROACH CONTROL RADAR AT 0949, ON A SOUTHWEST TRACK AT 3,600 FEET. THE GROUND TRACK BECAME ERRATIC AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A CLIMB, REACHING 10,400 FEET. AT 1014 THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DESCENDING. AT 1018 RADAR INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE FOOTPRINT OF A BAND OF PRECIPITATION. THE ENTIRE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN NIGHT CONDITIONS.

AT 1027 THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN ABRUPT 180-DEGREE LEFT TURN AND DESCENDED FROM 7,800 FEET TO 7,000 FEET AT 2,000 FEET PER MINUTE. THE LAST RADAR CONTACT INDICATED 2,700 FEET AND ZERO GROUND SPEED. THE ELAPSED TIME BETWEEN THE LAST TWO SWEEPS AND THE MODE-C ALTITUDE REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING AT 14,300 FEET PER MINUTE.

THE AIRCRAFT BROKE UP IN FLIGHT, APPARENTLY AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS 2,180 FEET LONG AND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS IN WIDTH. ONLY THE FORWARD FUSELAGE, THE ENGINES, ONE PROPELLER, AND WING SECTIONS INBOARD OF THE ENGINES REMAINED ATTACHED BEFORE IMPACT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT WAS SNOWING IN THE ACCIDENT AREA.

## 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 ERA14FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA077), Dec 26, 2013: Piper PA-30 (N8372Y), Biglerville, PA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The noninstrument-rated pilot's spatial disorientation after inadvertently encountering instrument meteorological conditions at night and his subsequent loss of airplane control.

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.