# Accident 20230715010379A: Piper PA46-500TP, West Tisbury, MA, July 15, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 2023, 15:15 local time
- Place: West Tisbury, MA
- Airport: Martha'S Vineyard
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3852° N, 70.6204° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3852&lon=-70.6204&mi=10
- Aircraft: N444RR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N444RR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA46-500TP (registry code 7104622, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (registry code 52268, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-42a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46-500TP
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-42A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA300) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230715010379A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT (HPN) ENROUTE TO MARTHAS VINEYARD (MVY). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR PLAN AND CLEARED INTO MVY CLASS D AIRSPACE. AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH RUNWAY 24 AT MVY. ON FINAL APPROACH THE PILOT COMMUNICATED TO MVY TOWER THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND. THE TRANSMISSION SOUNDED WEAK, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CLIMB FOR THE GO AROUND. FOLLOWING THE GO AROUND COMMUNICATIONS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CIRCLE THE AIRPORT NOT FOLLOWING STANDARD TRAFFIC PATTERN PROCEDURES. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FROM MVY TOWER WERE MADE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND ESTABLISH THE PILOTS INTENSIONS, WITH NO REPLY FROM AIRCRAFT. LIGHT GUN SIGNALS WERE GIVEN TO THE AIRCRAFT AND MVY COMMUNICATED THAT AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ANY RUNWAY, WITH NO REPLY. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED THE AIRFIELD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN GRASS AREA BETWEEN APPROACH ENDS OF RUNWAYS 06 & 15. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TREATED AND RELEASED AT THE SCENE. THE PILOT WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND TRANSPORTED TO BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE PILOT WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED AFTER 5 DAYS OF HOSPITAL TREATMENT. PASSENGER STATED THAT AFTER THE PILOT HAD ANNOUNCED THE GO AROUND INTENSIONS, THE PILOT BECAME INCAPACITED AND UNRESPONSIVE. THE PASSENGER, A NON PILOT, MANIPULATED THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. CIRCLING THE AIRFIELD TWICE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS AREA. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 ERA23LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA300), Jul 15, 2023: Piper PA46 (N444RR), Vineyard Haven, MA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s incapacitation due to a sudden in-flight cardiac event, which resulted in a gear-up landing.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.