20230927019399A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Whitesville, KY · September 27, 2023

Date: September 27, 2023 · 22:49 local
Place: Whitesville, KY
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3079M
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA23FA380
Reported as: Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 300 total

N3079MRegistered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-7816336 · Built 1977 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Aircraft departed, around 2155 CDT, bowling green-warren county regional airport (bwg) to owensboro/daviess county regional airport (owb) for second leg of night flight training for the student pilot along with a flight instructor. Approximately 55 minutes into the flight, the aircraft encountered severe weather and experienced an inflight breakup. Aircraft wreckage debris field was scattered over approximately 20 acres of a hilly, densely wooded area, near Whitesville, KY. All major components were recovered, except for the left horzitonal stabilator/elevator.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED, AROUND 2155 CDT, BOWLING GREEN-WARREN COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (BWG) TO OWENSBORO/DAVIESS COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (OWB) FOR SECOND LEG OF NIGHT FLIGHT TRAINING FOR THE STUDENT PILOT ALONG WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. APPROXIMATELY 55 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WEATHER AND EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE DEBRIS FIELD WAS SCATTERED OVER APPROXIMATELY 20 ACRES OF A HILLY, DENSELY WOODED AREA, NEAR WHITESVILLE, KY. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE RECOVERED, EXCEPT FOR THE LEFT HORZITONAL STABILATOR/ELEVATOR.

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 ERA23FA380Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportWhitesville, KYThe flight instructor’s improper decision to continue flight into a known area of thunderstorms, which resulted in an in-flight breakup.Sep 28, 2023 · Destroyed

Other reports on N3079M · 1

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

Accident 19930727025769AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Houston, TXDuring taxi for takeoff collided with auto driven by lost driver. Impact tore off left wing.Jul 27, 1993 · Substantial damage