- Date
- April 8, 1983, 09:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Wellsville, NY
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3515MPiper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830408011889A
- Case key
- 35036
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
Just prior to this flt, the plt had flown from hornell, NY to Wellsville, NY. Before departing hornell, he radioed that the vacuum annunciator light was on, & during a run-up, the suction gauge read zero. Ground personnel advised that with this problem, the artificial horizon, directional gyro & autopilot would be inop & to stay away from clouds. After landing at Wellsville, passengers enplaned while the eng was running. The acft departed Wellsville at aprx 0925 in wx estimated to be 900 ft overcast, visibility 1 1/2 to 2 mi. Aprx 10 min later, it crashed & burned after hitting trees onrising terrain, aprx 7 mi ese of the arpt. It impacted on a heading of 240 deg. Prior to impact, witnesses nearby heard an aircraft traveling generally from west to east that sounded loud & low. One stated he could not see the acft due to dense fog. The non-instrument rated plt had received dual instrument training, but very little partial panel training. An exam of the vacuum pump revealed the drive shaft was sheared.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3515M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32RT7885008
- Airframe hours
- 965
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John A. Gemmell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 1983 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- ELZ · Wellsville, NY
- Destination
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
- Airport
- ELZ · Wellsville, runway 10, 4,300 × 75 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
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 404 total · 20 in this make and model · 353 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 2 knots
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELZ, 7 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.
Other investigations on N3515M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.