- Date
- November 24, 1987, 19:39 local (23:39 UTC)
- Place
- Commercial Pt, OH
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8046XPiper PA-32R-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871124081719A
- Case key
- 7567
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
The acft crashed on a wheat field during a night instrument training flt. The plt had declared a vacuum system failure about 40 minutes after take-off but he declined ATC assistance for a no-gyro approach to columbus. Two minutes after the radio call radar contact was lost. Radar data disclosed erratic heading and airspeed changes during the last minute of flt. During the post acc investigation each of the instruments was found to contain a suction cup. But no evidence of failure or malfunction of the vacuum system was found. The acft had also been modified with a stand by vacuum system for use in an emergency after failure of the primary system. Only pieces of the system were found due to the destruction of the acft but the available evidence showed no signs of malfunction or failure. Suction cups, like the one found, are used by instructors to cover instruments for partial panel training.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8046X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R8213024
- Airframe hours
- 1,840
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Scope Leasing
- Registered owner
- Scope Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 23, 1987 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- Columbus, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 45 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 472 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.