- Date
- March 25, 2012, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Treasure Cay, Bahamas
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8415CPiper PA-32R-300
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Lead agency
- Other
- Parties
- Piper Aircraft, Bahamas Civil Aviation Department, Lycoming Engines, FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 83218
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
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Factual narrative
On March 25, 2012, at 1830 UTC, a Piper PA-32R-300, N8415C, was substantially damaged when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Treasure Cay International Airport (MYAT), Abaco, Bahamas. The two certificated private pilots and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a visual flight rules (VFR) international flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for St. Lucie County International Airport (KFPR), Fort Pierce, Florida. According to preliminary information from the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department, the airplane impacted trees after departing downwind from runway 32. The wind at MYAT at the time of the accident was from 220 degrees at 15 knots. This investigation is being conducted by the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department, Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the government of the Bahamas. All inquires should be directed to the Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit at: PO BOX AP-59244 Nassau, Bahamas Telephone: (242) 377-3445
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8415C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7680112
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gregory Schwartzenberger
- Registered owner
- Moonchaser LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MYAT · Treasure Cay
- Destination
- KFPR · Ft. Pierce, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MYAT · Treasure Cay Airport, runway 32, 7,001 × 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 250 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- MYAT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13 KB in all.