- Date
- September 5, 1992, 12:37 local (16:37 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, DE
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3647TPiper PA-60-602P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920905035389A
- Case key
- 11731
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, while circling to land, resulting in an inadvertent stall. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's excessive maneuvering of the airplane and his insufficient altitude for recovery from the stall.
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
During a VOR runway 22 approach, the instrument rated pilot sighted the runway and cancelled his IFR flight plan. As he was circling to land, the airplane stalled and collided with terrain. Witnesses stated that the airplane made a steep left banking turn about 250 feet above the ground. According to witnesses, upon roll out of the turn, the airplane's wings rocked back and forth, the nose and right wing dropped below the horizon, and the airplane fell to the ground. Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident and witnesses stated that the ceiling was about 400 to 500 feet above the ground. Weather facilities in the area were forecasting about 1,000 foot ceilings throughout the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3647T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-60-602P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 165005
- Airframe hours
- 1,890
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AA1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clifford J. Turner
- Registered owner
- Potomac Imaging Asociates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1992 · 106 hours before
- Departed
- OSU · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- GED
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GED · Sussex County, runway 22, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 878 total · 104 in this make and model · 769 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DOV, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.