Piper PA-16 N5796H

Summary

On 12 April 1999 at about 18:10 local time, a Piper PA-16 registered N5796H was involved in an accident near Hardeeville, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 April 1999 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Hardeeville, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

32.2703, -81.0696

Aircraft

Piper PA-16

Registration

N5796H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Simon Isl → Wilgrove

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA99FA125

2 people died.

An inflight loss of control for undetermined reasons while in a descent and the subsequent collision with the terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot transmitted that he was encountering 'pretty bad' clear air turbulence at his assigned altitude and requested a lower altitude from the military approach radar controller. The controller gave the pilot a turn because of conflicting traffic, and while in the turn the pilot transmitted that turbulence was now 'severe'. He made another garbled transmission that sounded as if he was saying, 'headed down' or 'going down'. He disappeared from the radar scope and the wreckage was found later, having impacted the ground on a tree preserve about 13 miles northeast of the Savannah VOR. No evidence of any precrash failure or malfunction could be found with the airplane's engine or airframe, or their components.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.