Piper PA-28R-180 N3896T

Summary

On 3 July 1997 at about 00:36 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N3896T, operated by BOB Hart, was involved in an accident near Penobscot, Maine, 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.

Date

3 July 1997 at 00:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Penobscot, Maine, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N3896T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

BOB Hart

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stonington → Pittsfield

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

IAD97FA095

4 people died.

The pilot's flight into adverse weather conditions, which resulted in the loss of control. Factors relating to the accident were the fog and the pilot's lack of an instrument rating.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passengers were returning home from a sightseeing flight, when a witness observed the airplane in a sharp right turn before it descended, impacted and sank in about 70 feet of water. Search efforts located some airplane parts including the right main landing gear, an airplane seat with the N number written on the back of the seat, and pieces of insulation. The main wreckage was not recovered. The pilot had obtained an abbreviated weather briefing earlier in the day, and said that the weather 'looked fine'. He was not instrument rated, and according to the airport manager, had very little instrument experience. Witnesses reported fog in the area at the time of the accident. According to the closest weather observation station, the reported ceiling was 900 feet overcast.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.