Piper PA-36-300 N59661
25 February 2012 · Americus, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 February 2012 at about 21:15 local time, a Piper PA-36-300 registered N59661, operated by Souther Field Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Americus, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and nobody was 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 21:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Americus, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (ACJ)
- Coordinates
- 32.1106, -84.1889
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36-300
- Registration
- N59661
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Souther Field Aviation Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Flight Test
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Americus → Americus
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA12LA195
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly secure a portion of the right wing leading edge, which resulted in the separation of the associated section of the leading edge during takeoff and the loss of directional control during the subsequent landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was being operated on a maintenance test flight after the installation of some aerial spray equipment. At an altitude of about 75 feet above ground level, the airplane pulled abruptly to the right. Using the maximum available engine power and left rudder, the pilot maintained control of the airplane and landed on the closest runway. However, after touchdown, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and crossed a taxiway and a ditch before coming to rest about 300 feet from the runway. Postaccident examination revealed that the midspan section of the right wing's leading edge had separated, several screws were absent, and the remaining screws exhibited signs of inconsistent torque.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-36 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 2012 | Piper PA-36-285 | Harvey, North Dakota, United States | Taylor AG Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2011 | Piper PA-36-300 | Highmore, South Dakota, United States | Wilbur-Ellis | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Aug 2013 | Piper PA-36-300 | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | Roger Zeledon | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2011 | Piper PA-36-285 | Havre, Montana, United States | Barlow Kirk A | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2011 | Piper PA-36-375 | Cambridge, Nebraska, United States | Joseph M Sides | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 2013 | Piper PA-36-300 | Quevedo, Ecuador | CIA Fapsa | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb 2012 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Swainsboro, Georgia, United States | Ronnie Osburn | No injuries | - |
| 12 May 2012 | Beechcraft B90 | Savannah, Georgia, United States | Riddell Enterprises | No injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 2012 | McLeod Alan FW-190 1/2 SCALE | Columbus, Georgia, United States | George A. Wade | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Sep 2012 | Cessna 208B | Statesboro, Georgia, United States | DST, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2012 | Bowen Christopher W DOGBEE | Wrens, Georgia, United States | Bowen Christopher W | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Jul 2012 | Brenholt Larry R RV-4 | Cedartown, Georgia, United States | Murphy Ronald J | Fatal | 1 |