Piper PA-24-260 N555CE

Summary

On 19 November 1982 at about 19:58 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N555CE, operated by James T. Furchess, JR., was involved in an accident near Culpepper, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 November 1982 at 19:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Culpepper, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.4694, -78.0005

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N555CE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James T. Furchess, JR.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Woodbridge → Lynchburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL83FA041

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ABOUT 16 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF THE PLT REPORTED TO ARTCC THAT HE HAD LOST THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON, GYRO & VACUUM PUMP. RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. EXAMINATION OF THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED TO REVEAL A PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PIPER ALTIMATIC III AUTOPILOT WHICH PROVIDES A BACK-UP SYSTEM ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF BOTH THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO & ATTITUDE GYRO, & THE VACUUM SYSTEM. SHOULD THESE FAIL, BY DISENGAGING THE ROLL & PITCH OF THE AUTOPILOT & PLACING THE TOGGLE SWITCH OF THE "AUTOFLITE" (BACK-UP SYSTEM) TO THE ON POSITION, THE ALL ELECTRIC AUTOFLITE WILL TAKE OVER & CONTROL THE ROLL AXIS OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS ALSO REPORTEDLY EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRIC TURN COORDINATOR OR TURN & SLIP INDICATOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.