- Date
- January 28, 1984, 19:10 local (Jan 29, 1984, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Templeton, MA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N55495Piper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840128003459A
- Case key
- 35316
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 acft collided with trees on unlgtd terrain at ngt after making a low pass at aprx 60 ft AGL with the gear extended. Witnesses reported that the acft's clearance lights were not operating until the rwy lights were turned on, then they observed the acft's strobe light. The rwy lights could have been turned on by keying the radio mike on 123.45 mhz. The witnesses heard the sound of the crash which was followed by silence. During impact in a wooded area, the acft collided with several trees over an area of about 175 ft. the acft's light & alternator switches were found in the 'off' position; the battery switch was on. The alternator pulley had a fracture separation; however, the mode of separation was not determined. The acft had departed mansfield, massachusets for mansfield, new hampshire at 1845 EST. The plt had planned to return in 4 hrs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55495
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-R-7335244
- Airframe hours
- 3,073
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1G, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Powell Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Foxtrot Papa, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 1983 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- 1B9 · Mansfield, MA
- Destination
- MHT · Manchester, NH
- Airport
- GDM · Gardner, runway 18, 3,000 × 75 ft
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.