- Date
- December 26, 1984, 20:20 local (Dec 27, 1984, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bradley, FL
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8227JPiper PA-32R-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841226068089A
- Case key
- 31466
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 plt completed a 30 min insurance check flt, then loaded the acft with baggage/pax & departed decauter, IL on a flt to naples, FL. A refueling stop was made at columbus, GA. At 1750 the acft departed columbus & cruised uneventfully until sometime after 1927 (after the plt contacted ARTCC & reported maintaining 9000'). Starting at 1953, attempts to contact the acft were unsuccessful; but the acft continued on its route until 2018, then it entered a rgt descending turn. Radar contact was lost at 2019 after more variations in hdg & alt. Subsequently, the acft experienced an in-flt breakup. At that time, the acft was believed to have been aprx 188 lbs over its max wt lmt & 0.4 inch behind its aft CG lmt. An exam of the wreckage showed evidence of positive overload failure of the wings & stabilators. There was evidencethat the alternator light was on, but the alternator, voltage regulator & overvoltage relay checked good. At 2030, radardata showed precip & cld tops to 14,000'. The plt had not met the IFR requirements of 14 CFR 61.57.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8227J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R8313019
- Airframe hours
- 6,927
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Decatur Aviation
- Registered owner
- Swartz Restaurant Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 17, 1984 · 161 hours before
- Departed
- CSG · Columbus, GA
- Destination
- APF · Naples, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 403 total · 50 in this make and model · 246 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 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.