Piper PA-38-112 N2603G

Summary

On 8 March 1990 at about 18:13 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2603G, operated by North Central Airways, Inc., was involved in an accident near Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 March 1990 at 18:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2603G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

North Central Airways, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pawtucket → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC90FA075

2 people died.

IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM A STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE AND EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ABOUT 5 MIN AFTER THE PLT & PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLT, WITNESSES NOTED A DECREASE IN ENG POWER & SAW THE NOSE OF THE ACFT DROP. THE PLANE THEN DESCENDED & CRASHED ON WOODED TERRAIN. ONE WITNESS RPRTD THAT JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE PLT WAS PRACTICING STALLS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 1000' AGL. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THE BOTTOM SPARK PLUGS WERE LEAD FOULED; HOWEVER, THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE NORMAL IN COLOR & WEAR. ONE PROP BLADE WAS BENT WITH AN 'S' SHAPE & IT CONTAINED CHORDWISE SCRAPE MARKS; ALSO, CUT BRANCHES WERE NOTED WHERE THE ACFT ENTERED TREES DURING IMPACT. THE PLT HAD RCVD HIS PVT PLT CERT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY; HIS TOTAL FLT TIME WAS ABOUT 68 HRS. THE ACFT'S GROSS WT WAS ESTD TO HAVE BEEN ABOUT 1740 LBS; ITS MAX CERT WT WAS 1670 LBS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.