Piper PA-28-180 N7345W

Summary

On 23 February 2002 at about 16:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N7345W, operated by Manuel Penalver, was involved in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 2002 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Vero Beach, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.6186, -80.7583

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N7345W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Manuel Penalver

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Beach → Orlando

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL02FA051

2 people died.

The flight's encounter with isolated severe to extreme turbulence that resulted in an in-flight breakup of the airplane and subsequent impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At 1117 the pilot called Miami Center stating that he was leaving 4,500 feet for 5,000 feet. At 1140 Miami Center advised the pilot several times that radar contact was lost, but there was no response, and there was no further contact with the pilot. Examination of the wreckage on-scene, found the cockpit, engine, and a small portion of the aft empennage in a confined area with the cockpit and instruments fire damaged. The wings, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilator, and pieces of the empennage were found scattered within 500 feet of the cockpit area. The right aileron and flap, were not located. A review of available weather data showed that a frontal boundary was situated in the vicinity of the accident location. The Melbourne Doppler radar indicated that a moderate rain shower was near the accident location at the accident time. In addition, the radar's Velocity Azimuth Display wind profiles around the accident time indicated that the wind below 3,000 feet was from the north-northeast and the wind at 5,000 feet was from the south at 15-20 knots producing updrafts of localized severe to extreme turbulence. Pilot reports indicated that Instrument Meteorological Conditions were present in the accident area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.