Piper PA-32-260 N41481

Summary

On 7 June 1995 at about 04:10 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N41481 was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Florida, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 1995 at 04:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Gainesville Regional (GNV)

Coordinates

29.6702, -82.3293

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N41481

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Adel → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA95FA145

6 people died.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AFTER CONTINUING THE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DARK NIGHT THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT'S SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, THE FAILURE OF THE FSS WEATHER OBSERVER TO INFORM THE IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST AND CENTER CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS UNDER IFR CONDITIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE FSS RELIEF IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST TO MAKE HIMSELF AWARE OF THE CURRENT OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATIONS AND TO THEN INFORM THE PILOT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED AT 2332 BY JACKSONVILLE CENTER THAT ANOTHER FLIGHT HAD TO FLY AN ILS APPROACH AT GAINESVILLE (GNV) DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY. AT 0008, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE GNV FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) THAT SHE HAD THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE FLIGHT CIRCLED THE AIRPORT AND PROCEEDED NORTHEAST. THE FLIGHT WAS LAST SEEN ON RADAR 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AT 1,300 FEET. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND 5 MILES NORTHEAST. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED INTO THE GROUND LEFT WING FIRST IN A NEAR 90-DEGREE BANK WHILE ON A 180-DEGREE HEADING. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT INDICATED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR DUE TO A 600-FOOT BROKEN CEILING. THE WEATHER OBSERVER DID NOT TELL THE GNV FSS IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST OR JACKSONVILLE CENTER CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR. THE PILOT WAS ALSO NOT TOLD OF THIS WEATHER REPORT. A SHIFT CHANGE OCCURRED AS THE FLIGHT ARRIVED AT GNV, AND THE RELIEF FSS IN-FLIGHT SPECIALIST DID NOT GET BRIEFED NOR DID HE CHECK THE WEATHER. THE RELIEF SPECIALIST ALSO DID NOT KNOW THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IFR BEFORE TALKING TO THE FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.