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20231127017939A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301T · Attalla, AL · November 27, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 27, 2023 · 17:48 local
Place
Attalla, AL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4187Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA24FA050
Reported as
Piper PA-32R-301T
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N4187QRegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301TS/N 3257214 · Built 2001Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301TEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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 1743, privacy data omittedwas approximately 4 nautical miles north-northeast of runway 18 at northeast Alabama regional airport (gad), when the pilot called the birmingham controller twice and during the second call advised the controller, “I have lost um my RPM on my engine and so um I am declaring an emergency.” the controller advised the pilot of the albertville airport was to his right at 12 miles and birmingham airport was at 12 o’clock at about 30 miles.

The pilot stated that, it looks like I’m right over northeast Alabama airport, (gad) and asked about it.

The controller advised that the long runway (6/24) was closed, and the short runway (18/36) did not have any runway lights so it was not going to be feasible. The controller also suggested robbins field airport (20A), oneonta, Alabama at 12 o’clock at about 12 to 15 miles.

The pilot again questioned the controller about gad and was again informed of the runway closure with work on it and that runway 18/36 “has got work on it as well with no lights.” the pilot asked the controller for the heading to the closest airport and was given radar vectors to (20A) and remained on the westerly track. At about 3,300 ft MSL the airplane turned left to a south-southwesterly heading and continued descending. The pilot informed the controller that the airplane was at 3,000 ft MSL. The pilot advised the controller that he did not have any airport in sight. The last adsb recording was at approximately 2,400 ft MSL.

The controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost and asked if the pilot had a nearby highway in sight to which he replied “I” but the rest of the comment was unintelligible. During the last transmission from the pilot, he advised the controller that he had a terrain warning and was at 1,100 ft MSL.

At 1748 a local security camera recorded the airplane in a slight descent inpacting the terrain. Pilot recieved fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by post impact fire

As the FAA filed it

AT 1743, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF RUNWAY 18 AT NORTHEAST ALABAMA REGIONAL AIRPORT (GAD), WHEN THE PILOT CALLED THE BIRMINGHAM CONTROLLER TWICE AND DURING THE SECOND CALL ADVISED THE CONTROLLER, “I HAVE LOST UM MY RPM ON MY ENGINE AND SO UM I AM DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.” THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT OF THE ALBERTVILLE AIRPORT WAS TO HIS RIGHT AT 12 MILES AND BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT WAS AT 12 O’CLOCK AT ABOUT 30 MILES.

THE PILOT STATED THAT, IT LOOKS LIKE I’M RIGHT OVER NORTHEAST ALABAMA AIRPORT, (GAD) AND ASKED ABOUT IT.

THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THAT THE LONG RUNWAY (6/24) WAS CLOSED, AND THE SHORT RUNWAY (18/36) DID NOT HAVE ANY RUNWAY LIGHTS SO IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE FEASIBLE. THE CONTROLLER ALSO SUGGESTED ROBBINS FIELD AIRPORT (20A), ONEONTA, ALABAMA AT 12 O’CLOCK AT ABOUT 12 TO 15 MILES.

THE PILOT AGAIN QUESTIONED THE CONTROLLER ABOUT GAD AND WAS AGAIN INFORMED OF THE RUNWAY CLOSURE WITH WORK ON IT AND THAT RUNWAY 18/36 “HAS GOT WORK ON IT AS WELL WITH NO LIGHTS.” THE PILOT ASKED THE CONTROLLER FOR THE HEADING TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT AND WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO (20A) AND REMAINED ON THE WESTERLY TRACK. AT ABOUT 3,300 FT MSL THE AIRPLANE TURNED LEFT TO A SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING AND CONTINUED DESCENDING. THE PILOT INFORMED THE CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AT 3,000 FT MSL. THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY AIRPORT IN SIGHT. THE LAST ADSB RECORDING WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 2,400 FT MSL.

THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AND ASKED IF THE PILOT HAD A NEARBY HIGHWAY IN SIGHT TO WHICH HE REPLIED “I” BUT THE REST OF THE COMMENT WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. DURING THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE PILOT, HE ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE HAD A TERRAIN WARNING AND WAS AT 1,100 FT MSL.

AT 1748 A LOCAL SECURITY CAMERA RECORDED THE AIRPLANE IN A SLIGHT DESCENT INPACTING THE TERRAIN. PILOT RECIEVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY POST IMPACT FIRE

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 ERA24FA050Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportAttalla, ALThe undetected wear of both pawl retaining rivets of the left magneto impulse coupling and fatigue failure of one pawl retaining rivet, which led to cascading fractures of the second pawl retaining rivet, left gear retainer assembly, and gear teeth of…Nov 27, 2023 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4187Q · 1

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

Incident 20150724013369ITakeoff: Climb Out · Bastrop, LAPilot and family returning home from vacation in pigeon forge, Tennessee (kgkt) to grand prairie, Texas (kgpm). Stopped for fuel at Bastrop, LA (kbqp). Had wife and three children onboard with two large pieces of luggage, several medium duffel type bags,…Jul 24, 2015 · Minor damage