- Date
- February 28, 1982, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bradley, SC
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N38540Piper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820228003829A
- Case key
- 70018
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Before takeoff, the pilot telephoned his brother in north carolina and asked about the weather. He was told that there was an overcast. The pilot replied that he would "come on and skirt the mountains." No flight plan was filed and there was no FAA record of a weather briefing. The aircraft crashed about 130 miles west of a straight line between the departure point and the destination. Two known witnesses heard the aircraft before it crashed. One described the engine sound as increasing in pitch and then dying. He described the sound as similar to a model aircraft flying in a circle. The other witness reported that the engine stopped and started three times. He also estimated the ceiling as very low and the visibility as very poor. An examination of the crash site revealed that the right wing tip had separated and had come to rest at a distance from the main wreckage. The lower wing skin failed in tension and the top skin was torn and deformed upward. The propeller had separated and was curled & bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38540
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7700020
- Airframe hours
- 2,193
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Causey Aviation Services Inc
- Registered owner
- Causey Aviation Services Inc
- Departed
- Kissimmee, FL
- Destination
- Liberty, NC
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 134 total · 1 in this make and model · 74 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 102 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.