ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45195
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| Date: | Thursday 12 June 2003 |
| Time: | 11:24 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-301 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N232HC |
| MSN: | 3246155 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 477 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Carthage, MS -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Anderson, IN (KAID) |
| New Orleans, LA (KNEW) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument rated pilot twice phoned an FAA Automated Flight Service Station, the first and second phone calls were made 47 minutes and 29 minutes respectively, before the flight departed. During the first phone call the pilot advised that the flight would be proceeding under instrument flight rules, and the briefing specialist provided convective sigmet and airmet information. During the second phone call the pilot requested an abbreviated weather briefing and the briefing specialist provided winds aloft. The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan during the second phone call. After takeoff, air traffic control communications were transferred to several facilities. The flight proceeded towards the destination and while in contact with Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center, the pilot contacted briefly the Greenwood Automated Flight Service Station and advised the briefing specialist that the flight was located in the Meridian MOA but he did not provide an exact location, and questioned whether he would "...beat that line of storms uhh that was headed eastbound." The pilot was advised of a severe thunderstorm watch. The briefing specialist also advised the pilot that his, "...best bet is to probably to turn and land at meridian at this point and time I don't think [your] going to be able to beat that." The pilot responded, "do that we are going to change our course and we're going to land at meridian thank you for your help." The pilot re-established contact with Memphis ARTCC, and requested to land at Meridian. At 1112, the controller advised the pilot that there was a large cell of heavy weather between his position and Meridian, and that better weather conditions existed near Greenwood, Mississippi. The pilot advised the controller that he would proceed to the destination airport heading 187 degrees. At 1121, the pilot requested to descend to 6,000 feet, but air traffic communications were transferred to Jackson Air Traffic Control Tower. At 1120, the pilot established contact with that facility, and he was provided the altimeter setting. Radar and radio contact were lost with that facility at 1124; the communications with the facility were not recorded. Review of NTSB plotted radar data revealed that from 1030 until the time of the accident, the airplane was proceeding in a southwesterly direction until flying near Starkville, Mississippi, at which time the airplane turned to a westerly course. The airplane continued on the westerly direction until flying near Kilmichael, Mississippi, at which time the airplane turned left and proceeded until 1121:51, on a heading of 180 degrees flying at 8,000 feet, at an average ground speed of approximately 125 knots. At that time, the airplane began a right turn to heading 220 degrees, and descended at 440 feet-per-minute. At 1123:03, the airplane began a right descending turn in excess of 6,000 feet-per-minute descent, with the last recorded radar target at 1124:03, at 1,500 feet. The last recorded radar target was located at 32 degrees 41 minutes 21 seconds North latitude, and 089 degrees 40 minutes 57 seconds West longitude. A search for the airplane was initiated, it was located the following day. A NTSB weather report indicates that better weather conditions existed in Greenwood, Mississippi, at the time the controller advised the pilot that better weather conditions existed there. Additionally, the airplane entered an area of high reflectivity (about 45 dBZ), which equates to a very strong cell. Additionally, clouds existed throughout the region. The main wreckage consisting of the fuselage was located approximately 243 degrees and .24 nautical mile from the last radar target. The airplane crashed into a heavily wooded area. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing and both sides of the horizontal stabilator were separated from the airplane; no evidence of preexisting cracks were noted on the fracture surfaces. Examination of the flight controls and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. A review of the pilot's logbo
Probable Cause: The failure of the non-instrument rated pilot to following the in-flight weather avoidance assistance instructions offered by the controller and his continued flight into known adverse weather condition (thunderstorm), resulting in overload failure of the left wing and both sides of the horizontal stabilator. A contributing factor in the accident was the pilot's impairment by marijuana.
Accident investigation:
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|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030619X00908&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Dec-2017 18:50 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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