Piper PA 32R-301 N888TP

Summary

On 21 October 2013 at about 19:06 local time, a Piper PA 32R-301 registered N888TP was involved in an accident near Huntsville, Arkansas, 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

21 October 2013 at 19:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Huntsville, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.8964, -93.7606

Aircraft

Piper PA 32R-301

Registration

N888TP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alexander City → Claremore

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14FA014

2 people died.

The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued flight into an area of known rain with reduced visibility and his failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering the airplane after entering these conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departing for the flight, the noninstrument-rated pilot received weather briefings, which indicated that visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed along the route of flight with no significant flight restrictions. While en route to the destination, the pilot requested and received VFR flight following services from air traffic control. The approach controller advised the pilot of moderate to heavy rain ahead along the route of flight, and the pilot replied, "vfr." About 6 minutes later, the controller again told the pilot about heavy precipitation along the route of flight and then gave the pilot a heading to deviate around the weather. The pilot confirmed the heading. Radar data indicated that the airplane started the expected right turn shortly later and then descended at a high rate of speed. The controller queried the pilot with no response, and no further transmissions from the accident pilot were received. The wreckage was located the next day based on the emergency locator transmitter. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. No airframe or engine preimpact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operation. A band of light-to-moderate intensity echoes about 15 miles wide existed along the flight track, and echoes of light intensity were over the accident site. Reflectivity images did not identify any strong convective echoes along the airplane's flightpath. The pilot likely flew into an area of known rain with reduced visibility, which resulted in his subsequent loss of airplane control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.