Piper PA 32R-300 N2269M

Summary

On 26 April 2015 at about 21:15 local time, a Piper PA 32R-300 registered N2269M was involved in an accident near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 2015 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.6967, -83.5344

Aircraft

Piper PA 32R-300

Registration

N2269M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hilton Head → Knoxville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA15CA051

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's encounter with extreme turbulence during descent over mountainous terrain, which resulted in a loss of control, and structural damage in flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a cross-country flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) the pilot was cleared from 9,000ft to 7,000ft over mountainous terrain. In the descent, the pilot reported encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and extreme turbulence which caused a loss of control resulting in inverted flight.  The pilot was able to recover from the loss of control, but was unable to recall how he recovered. After the upset and recovery, the pilot landed without further incident. According to information obtained from a Safety Board meteorology specialist, weather data displayed a band of clouds in the immediate vicinity of the upset location associated with mountain wave activity and locally generated turbulence. Another aircraft in the immediate vicinity also reported an encounter of moderate-to-severe turbulence prior to the event. There were no AIRMETs or SIGMETs in effect in the area where the turbulence was encountered. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During a post-flight inspection, both wings were substantially damaged after wrinkling and tearing was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.