Piper PA-32R-301 N8429T

Summary

On 24 March 1985 at about 10:30 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301 registered N8429T was involved in an accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania, 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

24 March 1985 at 10:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.7800, -80.1406

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301

Registration

N8429T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Zelienople → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

NYC85LA087

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 ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE PLT WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE LOCK CYLINDER FOR THE CABIN DOOR WAS BROKEN. UPON REACHING AN ALT OF 1800 FT, THE CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO SECURE THE DOOR AFTER ACTIVATING THE AUTOPILOT. THE PLT STATED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS THEN EXPERIENCED. A 180 DEG TURN WAS MADE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. AFTER VIEWING LIGHTS, WHICH THE PLT BELIEVED TO BE RWY LIGHTS, HE ATTEMPTED TO SET-UP FOR A LANDING WHILE TRYING TO HOLD THE DOOR SHUT. THE ACFT THEN STALLED AND CONTACTED TREES. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT HEAVY RAIN AND FOG WAS PRESENT IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.