Three Fatally Injured During Instructional Flight

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an October 13 accident involving a Piper PA-34-200T on an instructional flight. The instructor, student receiving instruction and a passenger were all fatally injured when the airplane broke up in flight and impacted the Atlantic Ocean near Westhampton Beach, New York at about 1100 EDT.

According to the report, the airplane was owned by the instructor and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed along the route of flight, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight, which originated from Danbury Municipal Airport (KDXR), Danbury, Connecticut, about 1025 and was en route to Charleston Executive Airport (KJZI), Charleston, South Carolina.

Preliminary voice communication and radar information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that, after contacting New York TRACON shortly after takeoff from DXR, the pilot requested visual flight rules (VFR) flight following and indicated a planned climb to 8,500 ft mean sea level (msl); however, the airplane continued to climb and was transferred to Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center after climbing through 12,900 ft msl. As the airplane climbed through 15,700 ft msl, the controller advised the pilot that other aircraft in the area were reporting IMC and asked the pilot to confirm that he was in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The pilot responded that they were "trying to maintain VMC" and that the attitude indicator was "unreliable."

The controller declared an emergency on behalf of the airplane, then suggested a heading of 300° toward Westchester County Airport (HPN), which was reporting VFR conditions. The pilot then asked the controller for the height of the cloud tops, and the controller replied that the last reports were at 19,000 ft. The pilot subsequently replied that the airplane would be climbing to 19,000 ft. As the airplane continued on a southeasterly heading, the pilot stated to the controller that the airplane was "VFR on top," and that he would not be able to descend below the clouds. The pilot requested vectors to areas that were reported clear, and the controller instructed the airplane to turn west, though the airplane continued southeast. About 2 minutes later, after the controller repeated the instruction to turn west, the airplane entered a figure-eight turn and began to descend rapidly. Radio and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter.

A witness near the accident site reported seeing the airplane "nosedive" from out of the clouds and into the ocean after hearing the engine "throttle up severely and wind back down" several times. A second witness stated that the airplane sounded "as if it were a stunt plane doing spins (pitch changing)" and then heard a "pop" and saw two large pieces of the airplane descending from the sky.

The instructor held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine, and instrument airplane. He also held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land, with commercial privileges for airplane multi-engine land and single engine sea. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued July 18, 2018, at which time he reported 4,000 total hours of flight experience.

The pilot receiving instruction held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued August 27, 1986, at which time he reported no flight experience.

The airplane came to rest in 20 ft of water on the ocean floor. A portion of the right wing was recovered floating above the airplane about 1/2 mile offshore.

At 1053, the reported weather at DXR included 10 statute miles visibility, light rain, wind from 270° at 5 knots, a broken cloud layer at 4,500 ft, and an overcast layer at 5,500 ft. The temperature was 7°C, the dew point was 6°C, and the altimeter setting was 29.87 inches of mercury. The 1053 reported weather at Francis S Gabreski Airport (FOK), Westhampton Beach, New York, about 3 nautical miles north of the accident site, included 10 statute miles visibility, light rain, wind from 300° at 7 knots, a broken cloud layer at 4,600 ft, and solid overcast at 5,500 ft. The temperature was 9°C, the dew point was 7°C, and the altimeter setting was 29.87 inches of mercury.

(Source: NTSB. Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: NTSB Report