# NTSB investigations: Piper PA-32-260: Loss of control in flight

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB CEN24LA322](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA322.md): Piper PA-32-260 · Chetek, WI · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 14, 2024 · N3613W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper landing flare and hard landing.
- [NTSB ERA22LA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA191.md): Piper PA-32-260 · Grantsville, MD · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Apr 16, 2022 · N3618W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to continue the flight into an area of moderate to heavy icing conditions, which resulted in a degradation of airplane performance and subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB CEN22FA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA131.md): Piper PA-32-260 · Fostoria, OH · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Feb 23, 2022 · N3952W · Destroyed
  > The 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.
- [NTSB ERA20CA282](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA282.md): Piper PA32 · Montauk, NY · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Aug 10, 2020 · N4817S · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with trees.
- [NTSB CEN20WA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20WA024.md): Piper PA32 · Kingston, Canada · Accident · 7 fatal · Foreign investigation · Nov 28, 2019 · N50DK · Destroyed
- [NTSB ERA18FA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA022.md): Piper PA32 · Fountain Run, KY · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 12, 2017 · N3371W · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot's intentional visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete…
- [NTSB ANC14CA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14CA060.md): Piper PA 32-260 · Anderson, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 6, 2014 · N3502W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN12FA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA108.md): Piper PA-32-260 · Bryan, TX · Accident · 5 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 20, 2011 · N3590T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadvertent encounter with severe weather, which resulted in the airplane’s left wing failing in positive overload. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reliance on outdated weather information that he received on his in-cockpit…
- [NTSB CEN12FA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA097.md): Piper PA-32-260 · St. Ignace, MI · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 4, 2011 · N33315 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to initiate visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent failure to maintain adequate altitude.
- [NTSB NYC08FA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08FA180.md): Piper PA-32-260 · Cruso, NC · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 12, 2008 · N64FP · Destroyed
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions with moderate to severe turbulence prevailing. Contributing to the accident were the instrument meteorological conditions and turbulence.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('7103206')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '240' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence?model=7103206

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