MIA98FA182

History of flight

On June 6, 1998, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, Guatemalan Registration TG-HUH, experienced an in-flight loss of control and collided with terrain near Statesville, North Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the private-rated pilot and commercial-rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated about 1335, from the Goose Creek Airport, Indian Trail, North Carolina.

The airplane departed under the provisions of visual flight rules for the purpose of flying to the Shiflet Field Airport, located in Marion, North Carolina, to pick up an individual and return to the Goose Creek Airport. A witness located about 1,300 feet and 240 degrees from where the airplane had in fact crashed, reported hearing an airplane fly low over or very close to her house flying either southeast bound or northwest bound. During this time the engine was sputtering. She then heard the engine rev up "high", associated with accelerating. She then heard and felt an impact in the form of rattled windows. At the time of the impact which was just before 1400 hours, it was "pouring down rain", and fog obscured the top of a 40-foot-tall tree in her yard. She and her husband drove from their house to a residence near where the airplane had in fact crashed, but were turned away by dogs. They then drove to the house of the Chief of Police for Troutman, and notified him of what she heard; he then immediately notified Emergency Communications. An Alert Notice was issued by the FAA on the day of the accident about 1923 hours, and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) initiated a search for the airplane at 2112 hours. At 2300 hours that evening, the Troutman Police Chief called the witness who reported what she had heard to him, and asked specific questions about what she had heard. She called the chief the following morning and he advised her that what she heard could not be the accident airplane because it presumably did not depart until 1430 hours. On Monday, June 8th, she was advised by an individual at the Statesville airport, to contact an individual at the Raleigh, NC, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), which she complied with. The following morning about 0830 hours, she met representatives of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at her house and advised them of the possible crash site area. The airplane was reportedly located a short time later. The airplane was visually located on June 9th, between 0945-0950, by search and rescue personnel in a North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter.

A witness who is employed by US AIRWAYS as a first officer reported that on the day of the accident while outside near the crash site, the weather conditions consisted of a ceiling less than 1,000 feet, with 3-5 miles visibility, and light rain. He first heard an engine sputtering and knew that the airplane was low, but he didn't see it. He estimated that the airplane was flying from the south-southwest to the north-northeast, and about 25 seconds after hearing the sputtering sound, heard an impact. He and a friend attempted to locate the crash site but were unable. He then contacted Charlotte Approach Control and he was advised that they were not "working" the airplane. On Monday morning, the Civil Air Patrol called him but he was not there. When he returned their phone call, the airplane had been located. He estimated that the airplane was in the clouds when he heard the sputtering engine.

According to another witness, on the day of the accident between 1330 and 1500 while outside of his building, he observed an airplane flying low and slow. The witness stated that the engine rpm's were decreased, and the airplane was flying west, up third creek. When asked to describe the airplane he reported that the airplane had one set of wings and the paint was two-tone. He estimated that the airplane was flying about 200 feet above the ground and was lower than tall pine trees in the area; the airplane was beneath the cloud cover.

Personnel information

No determination was made as to whether the pilot-in-command was current to fly in instrument meteorological conditions. Information pertaining to the pilot is contained on page 3 of the Factual Report-Aviation. Information pertaining to the passenger is contained in Supplement E.

Aircraft information

According to the New Piper Aircraft personnel, after manufacture, the airplane was assigned a Guatemalian registration. According to Maintenance information provided by personnel from Guatemala, the airplane was last inspected on October 21, 1993. The total time on the airplane and engine at that time was recorded to be 1,738:21 hours. That inspection was valid to October 21, 1994. There was no record of inspection in 1994. According to FAA personnel, the airplane reportedly entered the United States in 1994. There was no record in Guatemala which indicates that the airplane was de-registered or notice that the airplane was being moved from the country. Also, there was no record with the FAA that the airplane was registered in the U.S. No maintenance logbooks were located.

According to the original delivery documents provided by The New Piper Aircraft, the engine installed by serial number at the time of the accident was the same engine installed by serial number when the airplane was manufactured on December 2, 1966. The magnetos and propeller that were installed at the time of the accident were not the equipment installed when the airplane was manufactured in 1966. The airplane was equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks; the total usable fuel capacity to 86 gallons.

Meteorological information

On the day of the accident about 1011, the pilot contacted the Raleigh Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS)by telephone and requested a weather briefing for the cities of Charlotte, and Marion, North Carolina, with the pilot advising the briefer that Asheville was near Marion and there was rain in the Charlotte area. The briefer advised the pilot of light to moderate rain showers between Charlotte and Asheville and IFR conditions were forecast to exist with ceilings below 1,000 feet or visibility less than 3 miles. The pilot was advised of the current weather near the departure airport and also was given the forecast weather for the Asheville area and advised him IFR conditions were forecast to end between 1100 and 1400 local and after 1400 to 1500 local, the Asheville area forecast indicated that the ceiling was to be 3500 broken.

At about 1108 local, the pilot contacted the Anderson (AFSS) also by telephone and requested a weather briefing for the cities of Charlotte and Asheville. The briefer advised the pilot of widely scattered rain showers between those areas moving east-northeast 15 to 20 knots. Flight precautions indicated IFR conditions for occasional ceilings and visibility between the briefing time and 1400 local for the North Carolina area. The briefer advised the pilot that VFR flight was recommended after 1200 to 1300 local.

At about 1310 local, the pilot contacted the Raleigh AFSS and requested a weather briefing between Charlotte and Asheville. The briefer advised the pilot of the current weather conditions at airports near his departure and destination airport. The weather conditions at an airport near the destination airport taken 16 minutes before the weather briefing indicated that the ceiling was 1,200 feet. The forecast for an airport near the destination between 0900 local that day and 0800 local the following day, indicated that from 1100 local, the ceiling was forecast to be 2,000 feet. The ceiling was expected between 1400 and 1500 local with the ceiling at 3500 feet broken. During the briefing, the specialist noted that the current ceiling was