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20161231019642A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Mckinney, TX · December 31, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 31, 2016 · 17:23 local
Place
Mckinney, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4407T
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN17FA063
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-200
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
815 total126 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N4407TRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2018 · Piper PA-28R-200S/N 28R-7235089 · Built 1972Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-200Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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.

On December 31, 2016, about 1725 central standard time, a single-engine Piper PA-28R-200

Airplane, N4407T, and a single engine Luscombe 8A airplane, N2889K, were destroyed when

They collided in mid-air over Mckinney, Texas, about one-half mile east of the aero country

Airport (T31), Mckinney, Texas. The private rated pilot, the sole occupant, onboard N4407T

Was fatally injured, and the commercial rated pilot and a passenger onboard N2889K were

Fatally injured. Both airplanes were owned and operated by private individuals. Visual

Meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Both flights were operated

Under the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as personal flights, and no flight plans had

Been filed. N2889K had departed T31 just prior to the accident, and N4407T departed T31 at

An unknown time.

A preliminary review of radar information revealed N4407T approached the airport from the

Northwest, before turning east over the airport at an altitude of 1,800 ft. a transponder signal

Was not received from N2889K; however, it appeared that the airplane had departed T31'S

Runway 17 and headed north, in a downwind traffic pattern. Preliminary information indicated

Both airplanes were based at T31.

Several witnesses reported seeing the accident, including airplanes flying low and close

Together prior to the accident.

T31 is a privately owned airport open to the public. The airport features a single runway,

Oriented 17/35. The airport is non-towered and pilots are to use the CTAF (common traffic

Advisory frequency) for communications. The pilots were not in contact with an air traffic

Control facility/tower, nor required to be.

N2889K impacted a residential street and came to rest in a near vertical attitude. Evidence of

Fuel was present at the accident site, and there was no post-crash fire.

N4407T impacted an open concrete area of a storage facility about one-quarter mile, east from

N2889K. The wreckage was scattered just beyond the initial ground impact point and came to

Rest near storage lockers. A post-crash fire consumed a portion of the wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 31, 2016, ABOUT 1725 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SINGLE-ENGINE PIPER PA-28R-200

AIRPLANE, N4407T, AND A SINGLE ENGINE LUSCOMBE 8A AIRPLANE, N2889K, WERE DESTROYED WHEN

THEY COLLIDED IN MID-AIR OVER MCKINNEY, TEXAS, ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE EAST OF THE AERO COUNTRY

AIRPORT (T31), MCKINNEY, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, ONBOARD N4407T

WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND A PASSENGER ONBOARD N2889K WERE

FATALLY INJURED. BOTH AIRPLANES WERE OWNED AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. VISUAL

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH FLIGHTS WERE OPERATED

UNDER THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS PERSONAL FLIGHTS, AND NO FLIGHT PLANS HAD

BEEN FILED. N2889K HAD DEPARTED T31 JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND N4407T DEPARTED T31 AT

AN UNKNOWN TIME.

A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF RADAR INFORMATION REVEALED N4407T APPROACHED THE AIRPORT FROM THE

NORTHWEST, BEFORE TURNING EAST OVER THE AIRPORT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1,800 FT. A TRANSPONDER SIGNAL

WAS NOT RECEIVED FROM N2889K; HOWEVER, IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED T31'S

RUNWAY 17 AND HEADED NORTH, IN A DOWNWIND TRAFFIC PATTERN. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATED

BOTH AIRPLANES WERE BASED AT T31.

SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE ACCIDENT, INCLUDING AIRPLANES FLYING LOW AND CLOSE

TOGETHER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

T31 IS A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPORT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE AIRPORT FEATURES A SINGLE RUNWAY,

ORIENTED 17/35. THE AIRPORT IS NON-TOWERED AND PILOTS ARE TO USE THE CTAF (COMMON TRAFFIC

ADVISORY FREQUENCY) FOR COMMUNICATIONS. THE PILOTS WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH AN AIR TRAFFIC

CONTROL FACILITY/TOWER, NOR REQUIRED TO BE.

N2889K IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND CAME TO REST IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. EVIDENCE OF

FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.

N4407T IMPACTED AN OPEN CONCRETE AREA OF A STORAGE FACILITY ABOUT ONE-QUARTER MILE, EAST FROM

N2889K. THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED JUST BEYOND THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT POINT AND CAME TO

REST NEAR STORAGE LOCKERS. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED A PORTION OF THE WRECKAGE.

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 CEN17FA063Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportMcKinney, TXThe other pilot's use of an alternate traffic pattern entry procedure, which resulted in his inability to see and avoid the airplane, which was flying the preferred traffic pattern, and the subsequent midair collision.Dec 31, 2016 · 2 aircraft · Destroyed

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N2889KLuscombe 8AAccident 20161231021182A · Destroyed · 2 fatal

Other reports on N4407T · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19910113002019IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Hawthorne, CALanding gear collapsed on landing rollout.Jan 13, 1991 · Minor damage