Piper PA28R N4407T
31 December 2016 · McKinney, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 December 2016 at about 23:25 local time, a Piper PA28R registered N4407T was involved in an accident near McKinney, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McKinney, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Aero Country Airport (T31)
- Coordinates
- 33.2067, -96.7328
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R
- Registration
- N4407T
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1972
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- McKinney → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN17FA063
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's use of an alternate traffic pattern entry procedure, which resulted in his inability to see and avoid the other airplane, which was flying the preferred traffic pattern, and the subsequent midair collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilots were making personal flights in the two airplanes, a Luscombe and a Piper, when the airplanes collided in midair in the traffic pattern of the nontowered airport where both airplanes were based. The Luscombe, with a commercial pilot and a passenger onboard departed from runway 17 at the airport, turned left to an east heading, and then left to a north heading, which placed the Luscombe on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern. Meanwhile, the Piper with a private pilot aboard approached the airport from the northwest, turned east, and then crossed the airport near midfield about 1,800 ft mean sea level, the airport's traffic pattern altitude. The Piper collided with the Luscombe, and both airplanes entered uncontrolled descents and impacted terrain about a quarter of a mile apart. Postaccident examination of the wreckage found pieces of the Luscombe with the Piper wreckage and pieces of the Piper with the Luscombe wreckage. Paint and transfer marks on the Luscombe were consistent with the Piper impacting the left rear of the Luscombe. One pilot-rated witness reported that he saw no indication that either pilot saw the other before the airplanes collided, and the radar data showed no indication of maneuvering to avoid a collision by either airplane. The Luscombe's high-wing configuration and the convergence angle of the airplanes that required the Luscombe pilot to look west into a setting sun to see the Piper likely restricted the Luscombe pilot's ability to see the Piper approaching from his left-rear side. The Piper's low wing configuration may also have restricted the Piper pilot's ability to see the Luscombe that was in front of and likely slightly below him. Further, the Piper pilot's decision to use an alternate traffic pattern entry procedure and cross midfield at traffic pattern altitude rather than at least 500 ft above pattern altitude, which is the preferred traffic pattern entry procedure recommended in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidance material, provided less opportunity for him to see the Luscombe. Witnesses reported hearing the Luscombe pilot making radio calls on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). They further reported hearing the pilots of other airplanes making calls on the CTAF, but they were not sure if any of the calls were from the Piper pilot. Therefore, it could not be determined if the Piper pilot was making the FAA-recommended traffic pattern entry radio calls.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA28R 200 | N4407T | - | Destroyed |
| Luscombe 8 A | N2889K | - | Destroyed |
Other Piper PA28R accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 2016 | Piper PA28R | Kewanee, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2016 | Piper PA28R | Panama City, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2016 | Piper PA28R | Green Lake, Canada | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2016 | Piper PA28R | Ottumwa, Iowa, United States | Indian Hills Community College | No injuries | - |
| 5 Nov 2016 | Piper PA28R | Watertown, Wisconsin, United States | Wisconsin Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 2017 | Piper PA28R | Frankfort, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 2016 | Waco YMF-F5C | Austin, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2016 | Piper PA 34 | Denton, Texas, United States | U S Aviation Group LLC | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2016 | Cessna 152 | Bridgeport, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 2016 | Aviat A-1C | Breckenridge, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2016 | Hiller OH 23B | Tynan, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2016 | Piper PA 28RT-201 | Terrell, Texas, United States | J. Linn Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |