# Accident 20181220022069A: Piper PA 46-350P, Mayport, FL, December 20, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 20, 2018, 09:04 local time
- Place: Mayport, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.4006° N, 81.3844° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4006&lon=-81.3844&mi=10
- Aircraft: N307JM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N307JM-2022-05-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA 46-350P (registry code 7104620, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-350p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-540 series (registry code 41569, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA 46-350P
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TIO 540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 390 total, 30 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA19LA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA072) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181220022069A

## Narrative

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

PILOT  (ASEL AND INSTRUMENT RATED)AND PAX (SON - ASEL RATED/NOT INSTRUMENT RATED) DEPARTED KISM 12/20/2018 AT APPROX 0904.  WITNESS SUMMARY REPORTS SPEAKING WITH PILOT ABOUT BAD WEATHER ENROUTE FROM KISM TO PRINCETON AIRPORT ROCKY HILL NJ THROUGH CENTRAL WITH A LINE RUNNING NE TOWARD JACKSONVILLE. THE PILOT STATED HE COULD CLIMB OVER IT;WITNESS STATED FLY SAFE.

THE FIRST RADAR TARGET WITH VOICE WAS 0821 .20 NM FROM RNWAY 15 KISM, TURNED NORTH AND CONTINUED CLIMB. AT 0859 2 WAY COMMUNICATION AND RADAR WITH JAX ARTCC R73 CLIMBING THROUGH FL220 FOR FL230. CONTOLLER ADVISED OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PERCIPITATION FOR NEXT 200 MILES. PILOT REPORTED HE KEEP AN EYE ON WEATHER. AT 0900 THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO RADAR RETURNS BETWEEN 10 TO 30 DBZ WHICH EQUATES TO LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIP, BUT ABOVE FREEZING LEVEL. AT 0902 THE FLIGHT FLEW A SLIGHT WESTERLY DEVIATION FOLLOWED BY A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN NOT DIRECTED BY ATC OR ANNOUNCED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED A 360 TURN WHILE DESCENDING WITH A CONTROLLER QUERY AND NO REPLY AT 0903:10.  ATC MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT SIMUTANEOUSLY BEING STEPPED ON BY PILOT. AT 0903:27 THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 14,500 ADVSING THEY WERE NOT OK AND NEEDED HELP...PILOT WAS UNSURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING BUT MENTIONED "ANTI-ICE" AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. ATC PROVIDED VECTOR TO NEAREST AIRPORT WEST OF THEIR POSITION. 0904:32 THE LAST COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRCRAFT WHILE AR 3300 FEET MSL AN OCCUPANT ADVISED ATC THEY WERE INVERTED. AT 0904:40 THE LAST RADAR RETURN INDICATED 1,700 FT MSL. WHEREBY A SEARCH AND RESCUE WAS INITIATED

## 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 ERA19LA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA072), Dec 20, 2018: Piper PA46 (N307JM), Mayport, FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An in-flight loss of control following an encounter with supercooled large droplet icing conditions, which ultimately resulted in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent inflight breakup. Also causal…

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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