Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-28-180 N4879L

28 October 2001 · Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 28 October 2001 at about 17:56 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N4879L was involved in an accident near Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 17:56
Classification
Accident
Location
Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Nearest airport
Smith Field (SMD)
Coordinates
41.1503, -85.1293
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-180
Registration
N4879L
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Muncie → Fort Wayne
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
CHI02LA014

People

2 people were seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 2 0 0

Probable cause

The pilot not maintaining control of the airplane during an attempted go-around. A factor was the trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees while attempting a go-around. The pilot reported that while on short final for landing, a gust of wind blew the airplane off the runway centerline. He said that he, "...immediately executed a go-around in which the plane banked sharply right, which [he] could not counter...." In a separate report, the pilot said that he was landing on runway 23 when the airplane banked sharply to the right. He said that he, "...attempted a go-around while trying to level the wings with no avail and crashed into trees north-east of the airport." The pilot listed no mechanical malfunction in his reports of the accident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. A weather report for a recording station located about 10 nautical miles south of the accident site listed the wind at 1254 as 240 degrees magnetic at 11 knots. No wind gusts were recorded for that report.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-28 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
12 Nov 2001 Piper PA-28-180
N3672R
Mansfield, Ohio, United States Monroe Aviation Fatal 1
25 Aug 2001 Piper PA-28-235
N16405
Crestline, Kansas, United States - Fatal 1
24 Aug 2001 Piper PA-28-161
N81833
Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States - No injuries -
16 Jun 2001 Piper PA-28-181
N4299Q
Sedona, Arizona, United States - No injuries -
4 Jun 2001 Piper PA-28-181
N8253W
Lytle Creek, California, United States Air Desert Pacific Fatal 1
20 Mar 2001 Piper PA-28-RT201
N2380U
Manassas, Virginia, United States - Fatal 1

All 9,402 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
12 Nov 2001 Cessna 150M
N63262
Dyer, Indiana, United States Chicago Business Air Center Fatal 2
6 May 2001 Madsen LANCAIR 320
N316M
Valparaiso, Indiana, United States - Fatal 1
5 Jun 2001 Boeing B757-200
N563UA
Kokomo, Indiana, United States - Serious injuries -
16 Jun 2001 Shanklin RV-6A
N76MS
Poseyville, Indiana, United States - Serious injuries -
19 Sep 2001 Beechcraft 200
N711MZ
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States - No injuries -
17 Jun 2001 Cessna 150L
N6557G
Munster, Indiana, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States