# Accident 20150122002979A: Piper PA-23, Lakland, FL, January 22, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 22, 2015, 08:50 local time
- Place: Lakland, FL
- Airport: Lakeland Linder Regional
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0211° N, 82.0444° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0211&lon=-82.0444&mi=10
- Aircraft: N465JA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N465JA-2018-04-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23 (registry code 7102302, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 6,700 total, 2,508 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA109) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150122002979A

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 22, 2015 AROUND 0900-0915 LOCAL TIME N465JA A PIPER PA-23 SERIAL NUMBER23-1033 WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED. BOTH PILOTS ON BOARD  WERE FATALLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INSIDE A BUILDING USED TO MANUFACTURE MOTOR VEHICLE AIR BAG PROPELLANT CARTRIDGES. THERE WAS A POST-CRASH FIRE WHICH WAS VERY HOT WHICH MELTED MOST THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE AND THE NON-STEEL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT.  A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE LOGS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ITS LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED ON 12/15/2014 AND THE CFR 14 91.413 /91.411 CHECKS WERE PERFORMED ON 1/14/2013.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED FOR 14 CFR PART 61 FLIGHT TRAINING THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. INSTRUCTOR PILOT, AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT HOLDING ALSO A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING, WAS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT GIVING INSTRUCTION TO STUDENT PILOT, WHO HELD A PRIVATE PILOT RATING.

INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM WITNESS STATEMENTS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN SET UP FOR SLOW FLIGHT TRAINING OR CONDUCTING POWER OFF STALL TRAINING.  ACCORDING TO WITNESS?S STATEMENTS AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, FROM A BUILDING NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY TOWARDS THE AIRPORT THEN ABRUPTLY NOSE DIVED, NEAR A 90 DEGREE ANGLE, DESCENDING TOWARDS THE GROUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE BUILDING.

DUE TO THE INTENSE HEAT GENERATED DURING THE POST CRASH FIRE, A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNFEASABLE AS MOST OF AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.

## 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 ERA15FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA109), Jan 22, 2015: Piper PA-23 (N465JA), Lakeland, FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An in-flight loss of control for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident investigation; the loss of control likely occurred during a simulated loss of power in the right engine…

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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