Piper PA-601P N3642A

Summary

On 15 August 1994 at about 03:03 local time, a Piper PA-601P registered N3642A was involved in an accident near Sea Isle City, New Jersey, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 August 1994 at 03:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Sea Isle City, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-601P

Registration

N3642A

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Myrtle Beach → Oxford

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

BFO94FA163

4 people died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the presence of a level 6 thunderstorm, loss of gyro's for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's poor weather evaluation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT IN A LEVEL SIX THUNDERSTORM OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE'S 'GYRO' HAD FAILED. THE AIRPLANE THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND DISAPPEARED OFF RADAR. THE AIRPLANE AND ITS OCCUPANTS WERE LOCATED ON THE OCEAN FLOOR ABOUT 48 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE HAD BROKEN APART IN-FLIGHT. THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF EACH WING AND THE TAIL SECTION WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE AIRPLANE'S PNEUMATIC SYSTEM WAS DESTROYED. ACCORDING TO FSS RECORDS, THE PILOT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE WEATHER ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.