Piper PA-60-601P CFHGH

Summary

On 4 March 1989 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-60-601P registered CFHGH was involved in an accident near Lakeview, Oregon, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1989 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeview, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

42.3104, -120.3697

Aircraft

Piper PA-60-601P

Registration

CFHGH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portland → Reno

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA89FA053

3 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN A SPIN AND AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER MAINTENENCE BY THE PILOT, AN AUTOPILOT MALFUNCTION, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT ENCTRD HEADWINDS & TRACE RIME ICING. HE MADE A CLIMB FROM 17,000 FT TO FLT 190, THEN TO FL 210. AFTER CRUISING AT FL 210 FOR ABOUT 27 MIN, THE ACFT ENTERED A DSCNT (W/O ATC CLNC). RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST IN THE VCNTY OF WERE THE ACFT CRASHED. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO DSCND OUT OF LOW CLOUDS IN A SPIN. THE PLT HAD BEEN ISSUED A CANADIAN INSTRUMENT RATING ON 1/11/88, BUT IT WAS VALID FOR ONLY 12 MOS. A PERSON, WHO HAD GIVEN THE PLT PROFICIENCY FLT TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR AN INSTRUMENT QUALIFICATION CHECK, REPORTED THAT HE HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PLT'S ABILITY TO FLY IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN AUTOPLT. AVIONICS PERSONNEL AT THE DEPARTURE ARPT RPRTD THE PLT HAD ENCTRD AN AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION ON THE PREVIOUS FLT & THAT THEY HAD FOUND AN ELEC SHORT IN THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECT SW ON THE COPLT CTL YOKE. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT DUE TO LACK OF A REPLACEMENT PART. RPRTDLY, THE PLT BARROWED A SOLDERING IRON TO REPAIR IT HIMSELF.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.