Piper PA 46-350P N548C

Summary

On 24 November 2010 at about 01:30 local time, a Piper PA 46-350P registered N548C was involved in an accident near Destin, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 November 2010 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Destin, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Destin/Ft. Walton Beach Airpor (DTS)

Coordinates

30.4194, -86.4806

Aircraft

Piper PA 46-350P

Registration

N548C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Orleans → Destin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ERA11FA070

3 people died.

Controlled flight into water due to the pilot's improper descent below the published minimum descent altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated pilot was executing a night instrument approach when the airplane impacted the water. The published approach minimums for the area navigation/global positioning system approach were 460-foot ceiling and one-mile visibility. Recorded air traffic control voice and radar data indicated that prior to the approach the pilot had turned to an approximately 180-degree heading and appeared to be heading in the direction of another airport. The controller reassigned the pilot a heading in order to intercept the final approach. The airplane was located in the water approximately 5,000 feet from the runway threshold. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear was in the retracted position and the right main and nose landing gear were in the extended position. Examination of the left main landing gear actuator revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot had likely just commanded the landing gear to the down position and the landing gear was in transit. It is further possible that, as the gear was in transit, the airplane impacted the water in a left-wing and nose-down attitude and the left gear was forced to a gear-up position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.