Piper PA-28RT-201T N3063T
6 October 1989 · Palm Springs, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 October 1989 at about 00:14 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered N3063T, operated by Tuomela, Clyde, was involved in an accident near Palm Springs, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:14
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Palm Springs, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Palm Springs (PSP)
- Coordinates
- 33.8498, -116.5600
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T
- Registration
- N3063T
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tuomela, Clyde
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Calipatria → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90FA002
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW WAKE TURBULENCE AVOIDANCE PROCEDURES, WHICH RESULTED IN A VORTEX TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITHIN ITS WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITATIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PIPER PA-28 PLT ENTERED LEFT TRAFFIC TO LAND ON RWY 12 IN WINDS THAT WERE VARIABLE AT 6 KTS. THE RWY WAS 8500' LONG, BUT IT HAD A 1200' DISPLACED THRESHOLD. AT ABT THE SAME TIME, A BOEING 727 (ALASKA FLT 192) WAS ON AN APCH TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY. THE TWR CTLR ADZD THE PA-28 PLT OF THE OTHER TRAFFIC & CAUTIONED HIM ABT WAKE TURBULENCE. THE PA-28 WAS ABEAM THE APCH END OF THE RWY ON A CLOSE DOWNWIND AS FLT 192 LANDED. THE PA-28 PLT WAS CLRD TO LAND & HE ENTERED AN 'IMMEDIATE STEEP BANK AND DESCENDING TURN.' RPRTDLY, THE PA-28 WAS MANEUVERED ONTO FINAL APCH ABT 100' TO 200' AGL, THEN IT BEGAN OSCILLATING EXCESSIVELY & CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT. A WEIGHT & BALANCE COMPUTATION SHOWED THE PA-28 WAS ABT 150 LBS OVER ITS MAX GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATION & THE CG WAS 3.86 INCHES BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28RT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Alamosa, Colorado, United States | Lyons, Dean P. | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Durango, Colorado, United States | Western Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Red Lodge, Montana, United States | Frank, Robert E. | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 May 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Ojibwa, Wisconsin, United States | Univ. of Minnesota Flight FAC. | No injuries | - |
| 18 May 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Melbourne, Florida, United States | Flight Safety Int'l, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1988 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Concord, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-31-350 | Ontario, California, United States | Ameriflight | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-25-235 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 1989 | Cessna 310K | Ojai, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Sep 1989 | Cessna 182 | Eureka, California, United States | Nothern Air | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1989 | Cessna 152 | Lancaster, California, United States | West Coast Air Center | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Sep 1989 | Bellanca 17-30A | Palo Alto, California, United States | Klouda, Linda K. | Minor injuries | - |