Piper PA-28-140 N5807U
5 July 1997 · Spruce Pine, North Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 July 1997 at about 13:48 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N5807U, operated by David R. Clontz, was involved in an accident near Spruce Pine, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:48
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Spruce Pine, North Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Avery County-Morrison (7A8)
- Coordinates
- 35.9091, -82.0597
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N5807U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- David R. Clontz
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Fredericksburg
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL97LA096
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance after turning the wrong way in a traffic pattern.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane departed runway 16, with a slight tailwind, and made a climbing left turn. About three minutes later, the airplane struck the trees on the side of a mountain, and began burning. The published procedure in the Airport Facility Directory (AFD) for departing this airport states right turning traffic patterns are recommended, due to the mountainous terrain. When queried about this fact, the pilot stated he was unable to find Avery County-Morrison Field in an AFD, and saw no signs indicating the direction of the traffic pattern. The pilot stated he looked in the AFD under both Avery County and Morrison Field. The airport is listed under Spruce Pine. The airport facility has since placed signs throughout the main building and on the runways.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb 1997 | Piper PA-28 | Mulege, Mexico | Aabas Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 14 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-28-160 | Pickens, South Carolina, United States | Chester D. Maynard | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28 | Nelson, Canada | California Planners and Consul | Fatal | 4 |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Leadville, Colorado, United States | Michael S. Luther | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-181 | Leadore, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-28-161 | Sanford, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-38-112 | Smithfield, North Carolina, United States | Raleigh Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Cessna 150G | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Stinson 108-1 | Smithfield, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1997 | Boeing B75N1 | Huntersville, North Carolina, United States | Larry E. Morris | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 1997 | Piper PA-28-180 | Wilgrove, North Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1997 | Gulfstream-Schweizer G-164C | Beaufort, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |