20220317003899A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Pond Creek, OK · March 17, 2022

Date: March 17, 2022 · 16:38 local
Place: Pond Creek, OK
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N8357Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN22FA145
Reported as: Piper PA-30
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 152 total

N8357YRegistration cancelled Oct 11, 2023 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-1504 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-30 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 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.

At approximately 1638 hrs CDT, on March 17,2022, a witness reported hearing what sounded like engines revving. He looked up, saw the aircraft coming straight down and videoed the last 8 seconds before it impacted the terrain. The aircraft was in a right-hand nose down spin. The video showed the aircraft up to the moment of impact with the terrain, then disappeared in the tall grass. In the video, the aircraft?s aft fuselage and empennage were separated. The aircraft impacted in a near vertical attitude and rested inverted on a 047° heading at approximate coordinates of 37°36?53?n and 097° 54?30?w.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1638 HRS CDT, ON MARCH 17,2022, A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING WHAT SOUNDED LIKE ENGINES REVVING. HE LOOKED UP, SAW THE AIRCRAFT COMING STRAIGHT DOWN AND VIDEOED THE LAST 8 SECONDS BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A RIGHT-HAND NOSE DOWN SPIN. THE VIDEO SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO THE MOMENT OF IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN, THEN DISAPPEARED IN THE TALL GRASS. IN THE VIDEO, THE AIRCRAFT?S AFT FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WERE SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND RESTED INVERTED ON A 047° HEADING AT APPROXIMATE COORDINATES OF 37°36?53?N AND 097° 54?30?W.

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 CEN22FA145Accident · 3 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportPond Creek, OKThe pilot’s loss of control of the airplane, resulting in an in-flight breakup.Mar 17, 2022 · Destroyed

Other reports on N8357Y · 1

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

Incident 19890917055029IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · York, NELanded gear up. Handle was down and breaker popped. Thought gear unsafe horn was stall warning horn.Sep 17, 1989 · Minor damage