Piper PA28 N9376W

Summary

On 30 May 2008 at about 15:58 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N9376W was involved in an accident near Hillsboro, Ohio, 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

30 May 2008 at 15:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Hillsboro, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Highland County Airport (HOC)

Coordinates

39.1889, -83.5389

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N9376W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hillsboro → New Carlisle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08FA146

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to an in-flight fire as a result of a corrosion hole in the muffler that was not identified by the mechanic. Contributing to the accident was the improper emergency procedure performed for an in-flight fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane had undergone five previous annual inspections performed by a mechanic where the airplane was based. The airplane departed its base airport to Hillsboro, Ohio, where the airplane's autopilot was worked on by an avionics repair station. After the repair had been done, both pilots departed Hillsboro, but returned after noticing smoke in the cockpit. A check of the cockpit and autopilot by an avionics technician did not reveal any discrepancies associated with those areas. The airplane then again departed Hillsboro. Witnesses reported that after takeoff there was smoke observed coming from the front of the airplane. The witnesses then saw the airplane bank left, descend, strike a tree with its left wing, and then impact in a fallow corn field about 1/2 mile south of the airport. An examination of the airplane's fuel selector showed that it was still in the "on" position. The flaps were in the fully retracted position, which was not consistent with the airplane manufacturer's fire and emergency landing procedures. An examination of the airplane revealed a hole in the muffler, which also exhibited a loss of material due to internal corrosion. The severity of the corrosion also suggests that the hole in the muffler should have been evident at earlier annual inspections.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.