Piper PA-28-236 N48ED

Summary

On 31 May 2006 at about 14:41 local time, a Piper PA-28-236 registered N48ED was involved in an accident near Manahawkin, New Jersey, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 May 2006 at 14:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Manahawkin, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

39.6767, -74.2286

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-236

Registration

N48ED

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Old Bridge → Atlantic City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06FA133

4 people died.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's inadvertent VFR cruise flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his subsequent loss of aircraft control, which resulted in his exeeding the design stress limits of the airplane, and an in-flight separation of the wings and horizontal stabilizer.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departing on the accident flight, the pilot contacted flight service and obtained a weather briefing. During the briefing, the pilot was advised of an AIRMET for instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that extended across the intended route of flight, and that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended. The pilot was further advised that some of the stations along the route of flight were beginning to report VFR conditions, and that terminal area forecasts called for the weather to improve. As the pilot approached the destination airport, he contacted air traffic control, and upon hearing that the weather at his intended destination was IMC, he elected to return to his departure airport. While in the process of being radar identified, the airplane descended 1,300 feet in 4 seconds, before radar contact was lost. Witnesses observed the airplane descend out of the clouds and saw pieces of the airplane falling to the ground before it impacted trees and terrain. The outboard portions of both wings and both outboard portions of the horizontal stabilizer were located between 1,000 and 2,000 feet from the main wreckage. Examination of the fracture surfaces revealed signatures consistent with overload failure in the positive, or upward, direction. No pre-impact mechanical deficiencies with the airplane were noted. Review of visible satellite weather imagery revealed the presence of clouds along the coastal area near the accident site, and an airport 21 nautical miles southwest reported an overcast ceiling at 700 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.