What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ronald gatewood: airworthiness safety inspector
privacy data omitted
Aircraft accident inspector report
Date of report: 11/05/2019
Accident aircraft: Piper PA-32-301,
N534Z, s/n 3206054
Single engine land airplane
Location: Raleigh, NCN534Z
The aircraft logbooks were reviewed and the aircraft was determined to be in airworthy condition. No maintenance log book entries were documented on 11/5/2019. The aircraft impacted the tops of trees in a descending to land, stable flight condition. The fuel tanks showed signs of unused fuel. The graphic engine monitor was sent out in order to download engine data to validate engine operation at the time of impact. The propeller was located approximately 100 yards from the aircraft and a ground impact scar of the propeller was located at approximately 50 yards with forward movement indications. The broken and separated starter ring gear circumference was found with the propeller. The propeller indicated signs of rotational force at the time of impact with the tree limbs. The engine separated from the engine mount and was found near the airframe. The propeller attachment bolts were secure in the crankshaft. Attachment of the throttle, mixture and propeller linkage were confirmed secure at each end of the cables. Airframe controls checked for continuity and all components accounted for during the salvage process. The aircraft was equipped with sufficient avionics and backup systems for the intended flight.
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On October 20, 2019 the subject aircraft crash landed into william b. umstead state park south of the rdu airport on approach to runway 32. There were two occupants of the aircraft, pilot harvey l. partridge, jr. and his wife patricia partridge. Both were fatally injured. At the time of the accident, the wind conditions reported by rdu ATC were approximately 340 degrees at 7 knots, and most other aircraft reported the bases of the clouds at 1600-1800? MSL, which would be approximately 1200-1400? AGL in the area of rdu airport. The accident occurred at approximately 7:30PM local time, which on October 20th, 2019 was night time (approximately one hour after sunset).
Based on listening to the audio provided by air traffic control (ATC) the first sign of any significant issue was when the pilot reported, ?Raleigh tower, saratoga 34Z, I need to climb, my GPS, my approach just shut off.? This occurred while on the GPS approach into runway 32 at rdu. From there, the pilot was assisted by ATC with heading and altitude while performing a go-around. However, the options were limited, as runway 5L was closed and all remaining traffic was landing either runway 32 or runway 5R.
When checking back in with rdu tower, the aircraft reported having the runway in sight. At that point, and throughout the remainder of the flight, it appeared from looking at the radar plot that the aircraft?s heading, speed, and altitude were stable. It is unclear if the GPS or autopilot were functional at that time.
His altitude gradually decreased over the course of about two minutes from 1400? MSL until his last appearance at 700? MSL (approximately 300? AGL), at which point he disappeared from the radar plot and made no more transmissions. No distress signal was ever heard; the pilot?s last transmission was, ?34Z, I have the runway in sight.? At that point, the radar plot was showing the aircraft at 1000? MSL. Fourteen seconds later, the radar plot showed the aircraft at 900? MSL. Nine seconds after that, the radar plot showed the aircraft at 800? MSL. Fifteen seconds after that, the radar plot showed the aircraft at 700? MSL, where it remained on the plot without apparent forward motion until it dropped off the radar 45 seconds later.
As the FAA filed it
RONALD GATEWOOD: AIRWORTHINESS SAFETY INSPECTOR
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AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INSPECTOR REPORT
DATE OF REPORT: 11/05/2019
ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT: PIPER PA-32-301,
N534Z, S/N 3206054
SINGLE ENGINE LAND AIRPLANE
LOCATION: RALEIGH, NCN534Z
THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WERE REVIEWED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. NO MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK ENTRIES WERE DOCUMENTED ON 11/5/2019. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TOPS OF TREES IN A DESCENDING TO LAND, STABLE FLIGHT CONDITION. THE FUEL TANKS SHOWED SIGNS OF UNUSED FUEL. THE GRAPHIC ENGINE MONITOR WAS SENT OUT IN ORDER TO DOWNLOAD ENGINE DATA TO VALIDATE ENGINE OPERATION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE PROPELLER WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND A GROUND IMPACT SCAR OF THE PROPELLER WAS LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS WITH FORWARD MOVEMENT INDICATIONS. THE BROKEN AND SEPARATED STARTER RING GEAR CIRCUMFERENCE WAS FOUND WITH THE PROPELLER. THE PROPELLER INDICATED SIGNS OF ROTATIONAL FORCE AT THE TIME OF IMPACT WITH THE TREE LIMBS. THE ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT AND WAS FOUND NEAR THE AIRFRAME. THE PROPELLER ATTACHMENT BOLTS WERE SECURE IN THE CRANKSHAFT. ATTACHMENT OF THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND PROPELLER LINKAGE WERE CONFIRMED SECURE AT EACH END OF THE CABLES. AIRFRAME CONTROLS CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY AND ALL COMPONENTS ACCOUNTED FOR DURING THE SALVAGE PROCESS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH SUFFICIENT AVIONICS AND BACKUP SYSTEMS FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT.
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ON OCTOBER 20, 2019 THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT CRASH LANDED INTO WILLIAM B. UMSTEAD STATE PARK SOUTH OF THE RDU AIRPORT ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32. THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT, PILOT HARVEY L. PARTRIDGE, JR. AND HIS WIFE PATRICIA PARTRIDGE. BOTH WERE FATALLY INJURED. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND CONDITIONS REPORTED BY RDU ATC WERE APPROXIMATELY 340 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS, AND MOST OTHER AIRCRAFT REPORTED THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS AT 1600-1800? MSL, WHICH WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 1200-1400? AGL IN THE AREA OF RDU AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30PM LOCAL TIME, WHICH ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2019 WAS NIGHT TIME (APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AFTER SUNSET).
BASED ON LISTENING TO THE AUDIO PROVIDED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) THE FIRST SIGN OF ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WAS WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED, ?RALEIGH TOWER, SARATOGA 34Z, I NEED TO CLIMB, MY GPS, MY APPROACH JUST SHUT OFF.? THIS OCCURRED WHILE ON THE GPS APPROACH INTO RUNWAY 32 AT RDU. FROM THERE, THE PILOT WAS ASSISTED BY ATC WITH HEADING AND ALTITUDE WHILE PERFORMING A GO-AROUND. HOWEVER, THE OPTIONS WERE LIMITED, AS RUNWAY 5L WAS CLOSED AND ALL REMAINING TRAFFIC WAS LANDING EITHER RUNWAY 32 OR RUNWAY 5R.
WHEN CHECKING BACK IN WITH RDU TOWER, THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED HAVING THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT. AT THAT POINT, AND THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT, IT APPEARED FROM LOOKING AT THE RADAR PLOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT?S HEADING, SPEED, AND ALTITUDE WERE STABLE. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE GPS OR AUTOPILOT WERE FUNCTIONAL AT THAT TIME.
HIS ALTITUDE GRADUALLY DECREASED OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT TWO MINUTES FROM 1400? MSL UNTIL HIS LAST APPEARANCE AT 700? MSL (APPROXIMATELY 300? AGL), AT WHICH POINT HE DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR PLOT AND MADE NO MORE TRANSMISSIONS. NO DISTRESS SIGNAL WAS EVER HEARD; THE PILOT?S LAST TRANSMISSION WAS, ?34Z, I HAVE THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT.? AT THAT POINT, THE RADAR PLOT WAS SHOWING THE AIRCRAFT AT 1000? MSL. FOURTEEN SECONDS LATER, THE RADAR PLOT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT 900? MSL. NINE SECONDS AFTER THAT, THE RADAR PLOT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT 800? MSL. FIFTEEN SECONDS AFTER THAT, THE RADAR PLOT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT AT 700? MSL, WHERE IT REMAINED ON THE PLOT WITHOUT APPARENT FORWARD MOTION UNTIL IT DROPPED OFF THE RADAR 45 SECONDS LATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N534Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.