Date:	Tuesday 21 September 2004
Time:	19:32
Type:	Piper PA-32R-301
Owner/operator:	Aero Atlanta Flight Center
Registration:	N801SP
MSN:	32R-8013070
Year of manufacture:	1980
Total airframe hrs:	3961 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Euharlee, GA -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Kennesaw, GA (KRYY)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
According to the president of Aero Atlanta Flight Center, the purpose of the flight was for one flight instructor to provide a "check-out" flight to the second flight instructor, so that the second flight instructor could begin training students in the PA-32R-301. The flight center president stated that such a flight would typically include the performance of normal and emergency procedures, landings, slow flight, stalls, and steep turns. A witness outside about two miles from the accident site reported hearing an airplane engine noise that sounded "wide open." He stated he then heard two very loud pops, then there was silence. A pilot and mechanic-rated witness reported the airplane sounded "... like it was doing a loop or some kind of high G-load maneuver." Witnesses reported they saw the airplane fall out of the sky in pieces. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction of the engine, propeller, or flight controls. Examination revealed the outboard sections of both wings and the stabilator were separated. Fracture surfaces from the left wing main spar, the right wing main spar, and the stabilator were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board, Office of Research and Engineering, Materials Laboratory Division, Washington, D. C., for metallurgical examination. The laboratory report stated there was no evidence of pre-existing cracking or damage, and the fracture characteristics were consistent with overstress separations. The report stated, "Fracture, damage, and deformation patterns indicated upward loading on both wings at the time of fracture. ... Fracture, damage, and deformation patterns on the horizontal stabilator indicated downward bending overstress separations ... ."
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control of the airplane, which resulted in the pilot exceeding the design limits of the airplane and subsequent in-flight separation.

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040924X01489&key=1

This is the same aircraft, formerly N8170D, that made an emergency landing in the Villas Elementary schoolyard, Fort Myers, Florida, on February 18, 1984, due to a dual magneto failure, soon after a takeoff from Page Field. The right wing was sheared off hitting a baseball backstop, and the stabilator was damaged on a soccer goal. All five occupants were uninjured.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

18 February 1984	N8170D	J.J. Aviation, Inc.	0	Fort Myers, FL		w/o
26 August 1996	N801SP	Moccasin Flying Club, Inc.	0	Stewartville, MN		sub

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]
07-Dec-2017 18:23	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Source, Narrative]
17-Feb-2019 20:52	nwflyer	Updated [Source]