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20210613007429A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Madisonville, TX · June 13, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 13, 2021 · 23:55 local
Place
Madisonville, TX
Airport
Madisonville Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3258W
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN21FA263
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
5
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N3258WRegistered now · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-81 · Built 1965Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

N3258W flight with 01 pilot and 05 passengers onboard originating from port isabel-cameron county airport (pil), port isabel, TX, crashed short of runway 36, Madisonville Municipal Airport (51R), Madisonville, TX. The aircraft impacted trees approximately 700-feet from the approach end of runway 36, off of airport property. The trees were approximately 65-feet tall and the aircraft impacted at about the 50-foot level. The left wing separated on impact and came to rest 50-feet from point of impact. The aircraft traveled another 50-feet, rolling left and coming to rest on its left side, approximately 600-feet from the approach end of runway 36 on airport property. The propeller spinner was partially buried in soft dirt indicating a somewhat nose-down attitude on impact. Tree branches discovered on the road underneath the point of impact were noted to have smooth, angular cuts, consistent with propeller strike under power. The aircraft was destroyed with significant damage to the cockpit. The pilot was killed on impact. The five passengers suffered critical injuries but were able to egress the aircraft through the right-side cockpit door. Although no fuel was discovered in the fuel tanks, there was evidence of fuel saturation on vegetation in the area. Engine examination revealed: normal crankshaft rotation; compression in all cylinders; magnetos produced spark on all spark plug leads; valve train indicated normal movement; fuel in carb and associated fuel lines; carb screen was clean. privacy data omitted. Examination of landing lights indicates they were likely not turned on. The pilot approached the airport at too low of an altitude to clear the trees 700-feet from the approach end of the runway resulting in impact and crash.

As the FAA filed it

N3258W FLIGHT WITH 01 PILOT AND 05 PASSENGERS ONBOARD ORIGINATING FROM PORT ISABEL-CAMERON COUNTY AIRPORT (PIL), PORT ISABEL, TX, CRASHED SHORT OF RUNWAY 36, MADISONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (51R), MADISONVILLE, TX. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES APPROXIMATELY 700-FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 36, OFF OF AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE TREES WERE APPROXIMATELY 65-FEET TALL AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AT ABOUT THE 50-FOOT LEVEL. THE LEFT WING SEPARATED ON IMPACT AND CAME TO REST 50-FEET FROM POINT OF IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED ANOTHER 50-FEET, ROLLING LEFT AND COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE, APPROXIMATELY 600-FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 36 ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS PARTIALLY BURIED IN SOFT DIRT INDICATING A SOMEWHAT NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE ON IMPACT. TREE BRANCHES DISCOVERED ON THE ROAD UNDERNEATH THE POINT OF IMPACT WERE NOTED TO HAVE SMOOTH, ANGULAR CUTS, CONSISTENT WITH PROPELLER STRIKE UNDER POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT WAS KILLED ON IMPACT. THE FIVE PASSENGERS SUFFERED CRITICAL INJURIES BUT WERE ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE RIGHT-SIDE COCKPIT DOOR. ALTHOUGH NO FUEL WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FUEL TANKS, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL SATURATION ON VEGETATION IN THE AREA. ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED: NORMAL CRANKSHAFT ROTATION; COMPRESSION IN ALL CYLINDERS; MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK ON ALL SPARK PLUG LEADS; VALVE TRAIN INDICATED NORMAL MOVEMENT; FUEL IN CARB AND ASSOCIATED FUEL LINES; CARB SCREEN WAS CLEAN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. EXAMINATION OF LANDING LIGHTS INDICATES THEY WERE LIKELY NOT TURNED ON. THE PILOT APPROACHED THE AIRPORT AT TOO LOW OF AN ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES 700-FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN IMPACT AND CRASH.

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 CEN21FA263Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportMadisonville, TXThe pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glidepath during final approach for landing, which resulted in impact with trees and terrain.Jun 14, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3258W · 1

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

Accident 20030810021249ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Litchfield, IL(-23) N3258W had landed on runway 36 at Litchfield when a deer ran in front of aircraft impacting the left wing root area. No injuries were sustained during this event and the aircraft received substantial damage.Aug 10, 2003 · Substantial damage