Accident Piper PA-32-260 N41481,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37174
 
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Date:Wednesday 7 June 1995
Time:00:10 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA32 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-32-260
Owner/operator:Hugh F. Mcnair
Registration: N41481
MSN: 32-7400032
Year of manufacture:1974
Total airframe hrs:2861 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-540-E4B5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Gainesville, FL -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Adel, GA (15J)
Destination airport:(KGNV)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED AT 2332 BY JACKSONVILLE CENTER THAT ANOTHER FLIGHT HAD TO FLY AN ILS APPROACH AT GAINESVILLE (GNV) DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY. AT 0008, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE GNV FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) THAT SHE HAD THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE FLIGHT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT AND PROCEEDED NORTHEAST. THE FLIGHT WAS LAST SEEN ON RADAR 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AT 1,300 FEET. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND 5 MILES NORTHEAST. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED INTO THE GROUND LEFT WING FIRST IN A NEAR 90-DEGREE BANK WHILE ON A 180-DEGREE HEADING. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT INDICATED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR DUE TO A 600-FOOT BROKEN CEILING. THE WEATHER OBSERVER DID NOT TELL THE GNV FSS IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST OR JACKSONVILLE CENTER CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR. THE PILOT WAS ALSO NOT TOLD OF THIS WEATHER REPORT. A SHIFT CHANGE OCCURRED AS THE FLIGHT ARRIVED AT GNV, AND THE RELIEF FSS IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST DID NOT GET BRIEFED NOR DID HE CHECK THE WEATHER. THE RELIEF SPECIALIST ALSO DID NOT KNOW THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR BEFORE TALKING TO THE FLIGHT.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AFTER CONTINUING THE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DARK NIGHT THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, THE FAILURE OF THE FSS WEATHER OBSERVER TO INFORM THE IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST AND CENTER CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS UNDER IFR CONDITIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE FSS RELIEF IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST TO MAKE HIMSELF AWARE OF THE CURRENT OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATIONS AND TO THEN INFORM THE PILOT.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: MIA95FA145
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB MIA95FA145

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]
09-Apr-2024 14:45 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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