Piper PA-32R-300 N8349C

Summary

On 10 December 2006 at about 18:28 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N8349C, operated by Christopher Desch, was involved in an accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 December 2006 at 18:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Charlottesville-Albemarle (CHO)

Coordinates

38.1386, -78.4528

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N8349C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Christopher Desch

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Richmond → Charlottesville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07FA043

1 person died.

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on approach to the destination airport, the pilot reported to the air traffic control tower controller that, "his engine was out," but that he was going to try to land at the airport. The pilot was subsequently cleared to land on runway 3, and responded, "I don't know if I can make it there." A witness, who was the pilot of an emergency services (EMS) helicopter, heard communications on the tower frequency regarding an airplane in distress, and followed the airplane to provide assistance. The witness noted that the airplane was "extremely low," and the propeller was not turning. The aircraft cleared a tree line about 200 yards south of the crash site and continued descending into a clearing. Several seconds later, the airplane entered an approximate 20 degree bank to the left, impacted trees and "exploded." An open field was noted adjacent to the wooded area, which the airplane impacted. The engine was completely disassembled after the accident and no pre-impact anomalies were observed. The engine accessories were all severely fire-damaged and could not be tested. Examination of the engine logbook revealed the engine was 511 hours and approximately 1 year past the engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.