Piper PA-30 N8073Y

Summary

On 13 April 1991 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N8073Y, operated by Frances McCully, was involved in an accident near Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 April 1991 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.4290, -78.3908

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N8073Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Frances McCully

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Altoona → Clearfield

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC91FA112

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING AN INSTRUMENT CLIMB THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPORT DURING LOW CEILINGS WITH LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOUDS EXISTED DURING THE CLIMB. RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, AND TURBULENCE WITHIN THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEEN FORECAST. PILOT REPORTS EAST OF THE FLIGHT PATH HAD INCLUDED LIGHT ICING FROM THE SURFACE TO FIVE THOUSAND. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO SIX THOUSAND. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK CENTER WITH AN ALTITUDE READOUT OF 4500 FT . THE PILOT NEVER ESTABLISHED CONTACT. CLEVELAND CENTER LOST RDAR CONTACT AT 5300 FT AT APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES, CABLES, AND TERRAIN. BASED ON THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY UNTIL IMPACT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS 1,176 FEET LONG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.