Piper PA-28RT-201 N2825A

Summary

On 15 July 2010 at about 00:54 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 registered N2825A, operated by Concord Regional Flight Services, was involved in an accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 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

15 July 2010 at 00:54

Classification

Accident

Location

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Strand Airport (CRE)

Coordinates

33.8469, -78.6322

Aircraft

Piper PA-28RT-201

Registration

N2825A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Concord Regional Flight Services

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

North Myrtle Beach → Concord

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA10FA359

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in instrument meteorological conditions around a thunderstorm. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent actual instrument experience.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot held an instrument rating, but lacked recent instrument or night experience. He flew the airplane to a coastal airport uneventfully and subsequently left a message with the operator that he would be returning later than anticipated because he was waiting for convective weather to clear. The pilot received a standard weather briefing from flight service personnel for an instrument flight rules return flight. The weather briefer advised of a convective sigmet along the coast, with the largest cell just west of the departure airport. The briefer recommended either a northeast departure or a southwest departure, to remain clear of the large cell, before flying west on-course to the destination airport. Review of radar data revealed that convective weather, with associated strong intensity echoes, was present about 12 miles west of the departure airport. After takeoff, the airplane turned left about 180 degrees and proceeded northeast along the coast. The radar track then varied between north and northeast until about 5 minutes after takeoff, when the airplane reach a height of 2,300 feet mean sea level and began a right descending turn. The last radar target was recorded about 5 miles northeast of the departure airport, indicating an altitude of 1,800 feet. The recorded weather at the departure airport included a broken ceiling at 1,100 feet, overcast ceiling at 2,000 feet, and a remark of distant lightning west of the airport. Although the official end of civil twilight occurred 1 minute after the accident, the combination of a dark dusk sky, multiple cloud ceilings, precipitation, and the distraction of maneuvering around a large convective cell, would have been challenging for a pilot with limited recent actual instrument experience.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.