Piper PA-32R-301T N4316P

Summary

On 18 November 1984 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T registered N4316P was involved in an accident near Freeport, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

18 November 1984 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Freeport, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.4996, -86.1299

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301T

Registration

N4316P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orlando → Pensacola

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA85FA040

3 people 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

PREFLT WX BRIEF INCLUDED ADVISORY FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ALONG ROUTE OF FLT. DEPARTED IN VFR CONDITIONS BUT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX ENROUTE, RECEIVED INFLT WX ADVISORY TO EXPECT LOW CLNGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY AHEAD. PLT STATED HE 'WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER. 'ABOUT 50 MINS LATER, PLT REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO ASSIST IN CIRCUMNAVIGATING RAIN SHOWERS. VECOTR GIVEN BUT ACFT TGT OBSERVED NOT FOLLOWING VECTOR. PLT NEXT REQUEDTED A HEADING TO 'GET HIM OUT OF WEATHER.' STATING HE WAS IN RAIN AND 'HAVING A HARD TIME.' TGT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED ACFT IMPACTED IN HEAVILY WOODED AREA IN NEAR-VERTICAL ATTITUDE AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. WITNESSES HEARD SOUNDS OF HIGH ENGINE POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT; CITED WX CONDS AS DRIVING RAIN, GUSTY WINDS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN RAIN AND OVERCAST-INDUCED DARKNESS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.