Piper PA-30 N34EE

Summary

On 5 March 1982 at about 05:56 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N34EE, operated by Eagle Aircraft Company, was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

5 March 1982 at 05:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Valparaiso, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Porter County (VPZ)

Coordinates

41.4709, -87.0495

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N34EE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Eagle Aircraft Company

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chicago → Valparaiso

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI82DA078

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED ENCOUNTERING SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS AFTER HE HAD CANCELED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. AT THAT POINT, HE FELT THAT THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE WAS TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH. THE APPROACH WAS FLOWN AT 120 MPH WITH NO FLAPS. AS THE APPROACH WAS CONTINUED, ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE RAPIDLY. WITH FULL POWER, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE DESCENT. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN 78 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND BOUNCED IN THE AIR AGAIN. THE PILOT RETRACTED THE GEAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FLYING. THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH ICE, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO SEE A PARALLEL TAXIWAY BY LOOKING THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW. THE PLANE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE TAXIWAY AND LANDED AT A HIGH DESCENT RATE WITH THE GEAR UP.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.