Piper PA-32R-301 N801SP

Summary

On 21 September 2004 at about 23:32 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301 registered N801SP, operated by Aero Atlanta Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Euharlee, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 September 2004 at 23:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Euharlee, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Cobb County - McCollum Field (KRYY)

Coordinates

34.1711, -84.9242

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301

Registration

N801SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aero Atlanta Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kennesaw → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04FA190

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control of the airplane, which resulted in the pilot exceeding the design limits of the airplane and subsequent in-flight separation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the president of Aero Atlanta Flight Center, the purpose of the flight was for one flight instructor to provide a "check-out" flight to the second flight instructor, so that the second flight instructor could begin training students in the PA-32R-301. The flight center president stated that such a flight would typically include the performance of normal and emergency procedures, landings, slow flight, stalls, and steep turns. A witness outside about two miles from the accident site reported hearing an airplane engine noise that sounded "wide open." He stated he then heard two very loud pops, then there was silence. A pilot and mechanic-rated witness reported the airplane sounded "... like it was doing a loop or some kind of high G-load maneuver." Witnesses reported they saw the airplane fall out of the sky in pieces. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction of the engine, propeller, or flight controls. Examination revealed the outboard sections of both wings and the stabilator were separated. Fracture surfaces from the left wing main spar, the right wing main spar, and the stabilator were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board, Office of Research and Engineering, Materials Laboratory Division, Washington, D. C., for metallurgical examination. The laboratory report stated there was no evidence of pre-existing cracking or damage, and the fracture characteristics were consistent with overstress separations. The report stated, "Fracture, damage, and deformation patterns indicated upward loading on both wings at the time of fracture. ... Fracture, damage, and deformation patterns on the horizontal stabilator indicated downward bending overstress separations ... ."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.