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20220222007139A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Fostoria, OH · February 22, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 22, 2022 · 22:40 local
Place
Fostoria, OH
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3952W
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN22FA131
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
N3952WRegistration cancelled Dec 1, 2023 · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-936Airframe 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.

N3952W departed effingham airport Indiana (1H2) to findlay airport (fdy). Pilot requested vectors to the RNAV runway 25 approach at fdy. Aircraft was having a difficult time maintaining the proper course so ATC then cleared the pilot for the full RNAV runway 25 approach. During the approach ATC recieved a low altitude alert which was relayed to the aircraft. No communications were recieved from the aircraft. Aircraft struck the ground approximatly 15 miles north east of findlay airport.

Aircraft appeared to strike the ground at a shallow angle due to the scattering of the debris away from the initial impact point. Aircraft was destroyed.

The main parts of the aircraft were located within the debris area. All control surfaces appeared to be intact though continuity could not be established due to the damage.

The left wing wing had some fluid that looked blue in color and smelled like avgas. The other tanks that could be identified had the odor of fuel but due to the damage no fuel was present.

Propeller had damage consistant with it rotating with damage on both blades.

Engine was separated from the fuscelage and appeared to be damaged due to the impact.

Weather at the time of the accident taken from the findlay airport at 0353Z winds were 260 at 25, 10 sm visibilty, a broken layer at 1300, an overcast layer at 2600. Temperature and dew point were 09/06 (celcius) and an barometric pressure of 29.89 inches of mercury.

One witness stated the aircraft appeared to be descending at a high rate and turning slightly but he lost sight of it as it went below the trees. Witness did not hear or see the aircraft impact the ground.

Another witness closer to the crash site said he heard an aircraft that was very loud and screaming like it was at full power. The sound stopped abuptly shortly after he began to hear it.

As the FAA filed it

N3952W DEPARTED EFFINGHAM AIRPORT INDIANA (1H2) TO FINDLAY AIRPORT (FDY). PILOT REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE RNAV RUNWAY 25 APPROACH AT FDY. AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME MAINTAINING THE PROPER COURSE SO ATC THEN CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE FULL RNAV RUNWAY 25 APPROACH. DURING THE APPROACH ATC RECIEVED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT WHICH WAS RELAYED TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECIEVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND APPROXIMATLY 15 MILES NORTH EAST OF FINDLAY AIRPORT.

AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STRIKE THE GROUND AT A SHALLOW ANGLE DUE TO THE SCATTERING OF THE DEBRIS AWAY FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

THE MAIN PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED WITHIN THE DEBRIS AREA. ALL CONTROL SURFACES APPEARED TO BE INTACT THOUGH CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED DUE TO THE DAMAGE.

THE LEFT WING WING HAD SOME FLUID THAT LOOKED BLUE IN COLOR AND SMELLED LIKE AVGAS. THE OTHER TANKS THAT COULD BE IDENTIFIED HAD THE ODOR OF FUEL BUT DUE TO THE DAMAGE NO FUEL WAS PRESENT.

PROPELLER HAD DAMAGE CONSISTANT WITH IT ROTATING WITH DAMAGE ON BOTH BLADES.

ENGINE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSCELAGE AND APPEARED TO BE DAMAGED DUE TO THE IMPACT.

WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TAKEN FROM THE FINDLAY AIRPORT AT 0353Z WINDS WERE 260 AT 25, 10 SM VISIBILTY, A BROKEN LAYER AT 1300, AN OVERCAST LAYER AT 2600. TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 09/06 (CELCIUS) AND AN BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 29.89 INCHES OF MERCURY.

ONE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE DESCENDING AT A HIGH RATE AND TURNING SLIGHTLY BUT HE LOST SIGHT OF IT AS IT WENT BELOW THE TREES. WITNESS DID NOT HEAR OR SEE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE GROUND.

ANOTHER WITNESS CLOSER TO THE CRASH SITE SAID HE HEARD AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS VERY LOUD AND SCREAMING LIKE IT WAS AT FULL POWER. THE SOUND STOPPED ABUPTLY SHORTLY AFTER HE BEGAN TO HEAR IT.

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 CEN22FA131Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportFostoria, OHThe pilot’s loss of airplane control in night instrument meteorological conditions during the procedure turn of an instrument approach due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with terrain.Feb 23, 2022 · Destroyed

Other reports on N3952W · 1

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

Incident 19780218007139IForced/Precautionary Landing · Mount Comfort, INPilot intended to fly locally after recent blizzard. Engine quit after takeoff due to snow packed in engine cowl.Feb 18, 1978 · Minor damage