Piper PA-38-112 N2542L
3 April 1994 · New Castle, Delaware, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 April 1994 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2542L, operated by Dawn Aeronautics, was involved in an accident near New Castle, Delaware, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Castle, Delaware, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.6592, -75.5697
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112
- Registration
- N2542L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Dawn Aeronautics
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- BFO94LA058
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Inadequate clearance from obstacles, which resulted in birds strike. A factor was night conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT WAS DOING A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14 AT WILMINGTON, DE, AT NIGHT WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK BIRDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING THROUGH 1800 FEET MSL AND 7 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT WHEN THE BIRD STRIKE OCCURRED. THE PILOT REPORTED HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, YAW CONTROL PROBLEMS, AND A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE BATTERY CASE, FIREWALL, AND WINGS WERE DAMAGED BY THE BIRD STRIKE. ALSO, THERE WAS DEBRIS IN THE ENGINE AIR INLET FROM THE BIRD STRIKE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-38 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1994 | Piper PA-38 | Sweet Home, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Kettleman City, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | McCall, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Inman, Kansas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-38 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | D-Bar-D Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1994 | Piper PA-38-112 | Gardner, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1994 | Cessna P210N | New Castle, Delaware, United States | Dipetro, Anthony | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1994 | Cessna 152 | Georgetown, Delaware, United States | Laurel Aero Services | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 1994 | Beechcraft 36 | Georgetown, Delaware, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1994 | Beechcraft A-23 | Felton, Delaware, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 1994 | Robinson R-22B | Magnolia, Delaware, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1993 | Cessna 150E | Selbyville, Delaware, United States | Atlantic Coastal Aerial | Fatal | 1 |