Piper PA-32-300 N32038

Summary

On 5 May 2003 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N32038 was involved in an accident near Calhoun, Georgia, 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

5 May 2003 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Calhoun, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

34.5458, -85.0636

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N32038

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jacksboro → Rome

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03FA089

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing, which would have indicated that MVFR to IFR conditions prevailed over the route with embedded thunderstorms and rain, and his decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the flight impacting terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the preflight weather briefing, the pilot was advised numerous times about the adverse weather conditions along his route of travel. He was also advised that visual flight rules could not be maintained from Jacksboro, TN, to Rome, GA, and there were active tornado watches. The pilot stated that he would still be departing shortly after the phone call with the Anniston Flight Service Station. The flight was due back in Geneva, AL (where the trip originated) on May 5, 2003, approximately 1500 central daylight time but never arrived. The pilot made no reports of any mechanical or flight control anomalies during the flight. On May 5, 2003 the Civil Air Patrol initiated an air search, but postponed search activities due to inclement weather conditions. On May 8, 2003, the air search commenced, and at 1945 eastern daylight time air spotters located the wreckage site of the downed airplane. The air spotters circle the site until the ground crews arrived, and at 2330, the ground crews made a positive identification of the downed airplane. At the conclusion of the airframe, and engine examination, no evidence of flight control or mechanical malfunction was identified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.