Accident Piper PA-32-260 N31953,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38833
 
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Date:Thursday 8 October 1992
Time:21:28 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA32 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-32-260
Owner/operator:Tar Heel Railroad Inc.
Registration: N31953
MSN: 32-7800008
Year of manufacture:1978
Engine model:Lycoming O-549-E4B5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Pulaski, VA -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Williamson, WV (410)
Destination airport:Winston-salem, NC
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
AT 1930, THE PLT CONTACTED FSS & REQUESTED DESTINATION WX. HE WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. AT 2017, HE CONTACTED ATC CENTER & REPORTED THAT HE '...RAN INTO A LITTLE SOUP...' AT 2020, HE REPORTED 'I'VE LOST UH MY TURN INDICATOR...' THE NON-PILOT-RATED ATC CONTROLLER THEN BEGAN PROVIDING NO-GYRO VECTORS TO THE PILOT. IN ADDITION, THE CONTROLLER DID NOT PROVIDE THE MINIUM VECTORING ALTITUDE TO THE PILOT. AT 2028, THE PILOT REPORTED '...WE'RE HAVING SOME...TROUBLE...' THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED COMING DOWN AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE.

Probable Cause: THE IMPROPER DECISION BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE ACTIONS OF THE RADAR CONTROLLER WHOSE VECTORS AND NO-GYRO VECTORS MOST LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT'S DISORIENTATION, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE DARK NIGHT.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: NYC93FA012
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB NYC93FA012

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
10-Apr-2024 17:27 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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