# NTSB ATL02LA173: Piper PA-32RT-300, N607JW, St. Simons Island, GA, September 21, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 21, 2002, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC) - Place: St. Simons Island, GA - Coordinates: 31.155147, -81.387051 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1551&lon=-81.3871&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55771 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL02LA173 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55771/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02LA173 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a simulated emergency landing, and his delayed remedial action that resulted in a stall, and an uncontrolled collision with trees. A factor was the check pilot's inadaquate supervision of the check ride. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - supervision - inadequate, check pilot (contributing factor) - emergency procedure - simulated - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled - object - tree(s) ## Analysis According to the pilot, he was taking a check-ride for his certified flight instructor's rating in single engine airplanes. He and the check pilot had completed several flight maneuvers and were conducting a simulated 180-degree power-off landing. The simulated maneuver was established for runway 04; the engine was operating at reduced power. The pilot recalled that approximately three quarters through the turn, the airspeed got slow and the sink rate increased. At approximately the same time, witnesses on the ground noticed that thee airplane had overshoot the final approach course for the runway. The pilot applied power to arrest the sink rate and to reestablish the final approach course. When the check pilot elected to take control of the airplane, he realized that there was not enough altitude to complete the recovery. Witnesses on the ground also observed the airplane as it collided with tops of tree short of the runway. One witness reported that the nose of the airplane pitched up and the pilot recalled that the left wing fell and the airplane collided with the ground in a nose low attitude. The airplane came to rest about 60 feet short of the runway surface and burst into flames. Neither pilot reported a mechanical problem with the airplane during the simulated emergency. ## Factual narrative On September 21, 2002, at 1015 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registered to Pine Valley Aviation and flown by the commercial pilot, collided with the ground and burst into flames short of runway 4 while on approach to land at Malcolm B. McKinnon Airport in Brunswick, Georgia. The training flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot was not injured and the air transport pilot, check pilot, received serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Brunswick, Georgia, at 1000, on September 21, 2002. According to the pilot, he was taking a check-ride for his certified flight instructor's rating in single engine airplanes. He and the check pilot had completed several flight maneuvers and were conducting a simulated180-degree power-off landing. The simulated maneuver was established for runway 04; the engine was operating at reduced power. The pilot recalled that approximately three quarters through the turn, the airspeed got slow and the sink rate increased. At approximately the same time, witnesses on the ground noticed that the airplane had overshoot the final approach course for the runway. The pilot applied power to arrest the sink rate and to reestablish the final approach course. When the check pilot elected to take control of the airplane, he realized that there was not enough altitude to complete the recovery. Witnesses on the ground also observed the airplane as it collided with tops of trees short of the runway. One witness reported that the nose of the airplane pitched up and the pilot recalled that the left wing fell and the airplane collided with the ground in a nose low attitude. The airplane came to rest about 60 feet short of the runway surface and burst into flames. Examination of the airplane revealed that both wings were torn from the airframe. The right wing rested adjacent to the main wreckage and several other pieces of the airframe were scattered in the immediate vicinity of the main wreckage. Neither pilot reported a mechanical problem with the airplane during the simulated emergency. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N607JW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N607JW-2003-02-13), registration cancelled 2003-02-13, S/N 32R-7885091, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32RT-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32RT-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (registry code 7103215) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-7885091 - Airframe hours: 3400 - Engines: Lycoming IO-0540 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Pine Valley Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 31, 2002, 30 hours before - Departed: Brunswick, GA - Airport: SSI, Saint Simons Island, runway 04, 5,421 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Check pilot; age 52; injuries: serious; airline transport, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 30, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 11,000 total, 2 in this make and model, 1,000 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days - Pilot; age 18; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; last flight review June 30, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 368 total, 71 in this make and model, 278 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.26 inHg - Observed at: SSI ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020921030609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020921030609A), Sep 21, 2002: Piper PA32RT300, Brunswick, GA, Destroyed. (-23) While aircraft was conducting a power-off approach (accuracy landing) the aircraft lost altitude and struck an oak tree on adjacent property and impacted… 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. --- 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.