# NTSB MIA00LA171: Piper PA-28-161, N47561, Chapel Hill, NC, May 25, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 25, 2000, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC) - Place: Chapel Hill, NC - Coordinates: 35.920673, -79.03926 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9207&lon=-79.0393&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49273 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA00LA171 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49273/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA171 ## Probable cause The failure of the CFI to delay his landing until the approaching line of thunderstorms passed, causing the flight to encounter severely gusting wind conditions resulting in the loss of altitude control and collision with the terrain. ## 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 - weather condition - thunderstorm,outflow - weather evaluation - improper, pilot in command(cfi) - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - terrain condition - roadway/highway ## Analysis According to the CFI, he and the student obtained their preflight weather briefing via the flight school's computer/CIRRUS WX software, and were advised that present weather was good but be alert to afternoon thunderstorms. At about the same time they departed, the local AFSS was advising subsequent flights, 'A line of thunderstorms was approaching from the west much more quickly than anticipated', and to reconsider flying at that time. The accident flight completed their first leg successfully, but encountered unexpectedly strong winds on their return leg's approach for landing. Despite the CFI's assuming control of the airplane, altitude and heading control was lost when encountering severely gusting winds and the flight collided with the terrain short of the intended landing point. ## Factual narrative On May 25, 2000, about 1045 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N47561, registered to the Chapel Hill Flying Club, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed 1/2 mile short of the runway at the Horace Williams Airport, (KIGX) Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The CFI and a student pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire. The flight originated from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, (KRDU) about 30 minutes before the accident. According to the CFI, the flight was the second leg of a two-leg flight from KIGX to KRDU back to KIGX. While on final approach to KIGX's runway 27, at about 300 to 400 feet agl, and 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the runway threshold, they encountered winds that caused a severe left roll of about 60 to 90 degrees. The CFI applied sufficient control correction to level the airplane, but it's direction of flight continued in a left turn and it continued to descend until collision with a stand of trees and the terrain. Examination of the wreckage path revealed the airplane's initial collision with the ground was on a heading of about 180 degrees. The CFI further stated that he used the Raleigh-Durham ATIS and the KIGX automated surface observing system, (ASOS) for weather information prior to their encounter with the adverse winds. According to a sequence of weather radar images from the Raleigh-Durham WSR-88D Doppler Radar facility, for the time frame, 1004 to 1102 on May 25, 2000, the line of thunderstorms can be seen west of the KIGX airport, moving to the east. At the time of the accident, VIP level 5 radar echoes, (intense precipitation) can be seen abeam and adjacent to the KIGX airport. See the Weather Radar Images report, an attachment to this report. Another flight instructor and his student, waiting to fly at 0930, from Chapel Hill, were given a Raleigh-Durham FSS weather brief stating no significant weather could be expected until the mid to later afternoon; however, the FSS did call back to the FBO a few minutes later advising that a line of thunderstorms was fast approaching from the west, and to reconsider flying at that time. Subsequent local TV news accounts of the results of the weather system that transited the area at the time of N47561's approach for landing at KIGX stated that numerous trees and power lines were down as a result of winds that reached 50 to 60 miles an hour. According to an FAA inspector, the CFI and student obtained their preflight weather brief from the Chapel Hill flight school computer using the CIRRUS WX software, supplemented by reviewing a WSI weather terminal. The forecast indicated that storms and severe weather may occur later in the day. According to an automated weather observation taken for the Horace Williams Airport 8 minutes before the accident, surface winds were from 310 degrees at 21 knots, gusting to 39 knots. Peak winds were from 300 degrees at 39 knots. Lightning observed in the distance from west of the airport through northeast. Thunderstorm activity began at 1031, and rain began at 1036. According to the Airman's Information Manual, Chapter 7, section 7-1-26, "Thunderstorm Flying", article (1), the following warning is stated: "Don't land or takeoff in the face of an approaching thunderstorm. A sudden gust front of low level turbulence could cause loss of control". ## Aircraft - Registration: [N47561](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N47561-2000-12-14), registration cancelled 2000-12-14, S/N 28-7816097 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-161 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (registry code 7102803) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7816097 - Airframe hours: 6245 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-D3G 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Chapel Hill Flying Club, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 10, 2000, 83 hours before - Departed: RDU, RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC - Destination: IGX, CHAPEL HILL, NC - Airport: IGX, Horace Williams, runway 27, 4,005 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 1,708 total, 534 in this make and model, 1,600 as pilot in command, 167 in the last 90 days, 82 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 21 knots, gusting 39 - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,500 ft broken - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: IGX, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000525010399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000525010399A), May 25, 2000: Piper PA28161, Chapel Hill, NC, Destroyed. (-23) While on short final for the Chapel Hill airport, the aircraft encountered a severe down draft at 300 AGL and 1/4 mile final. The aircraft then rolled… 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.