20140716013689A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301T · Captiva Island, FL · July 16, 2014

Date: July 16, 2014 · 17:37 local
Place: Captiva Island, FL
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N297AS
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14FA343
Reported as: Piper PA-32R-301T
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,085 total

N297ASRegistration cancelled Mar 19, 2015 · Piper PA-32R-301TS/N 3257122 · Built 1999 Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301T Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Pilot attempted a go-around from a grass field with 699 pounds of cargo and according to witnesses was unable to climb when the left wing dipped into the water it was torn off and the airplane sank in 15 ft of water. The pilot drowned according to the coroner's report.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND FROM A GRASS FIELD WITH 699 POUNDS OF CARGO AND ACCORDING TO WITNESSES WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB WHEN THE LEFT WING DIPPED INTO THE WATER IT WAS TORN OFF AND THE AIRPLANE SANK IN 15 FT OF WATER. THE PILOT DROWNED ACCORDING TO THE CORONER'S REPORT.

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 ERA14FA343Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportNorth Captiva Island, FLThe pilot’s failure to secure the cargo in the cargo compartment, which resulted in a weight shift that led to the center of gravity exceeding its aft limit during a go-around attempt and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Also causal to the accident were the…Jul 16, 2014 · Substantial damage