HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA, USA
N8073Y
PIPER PA-30
DURING AN INSTRUMENT CLIMB THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPORT DURING LOW CEILINGS WITH LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLOUDS EXISTED DURING THE CLIMB. RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, AND TURBULENCE WITHIN THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEEN FORECAST. PILOT REPORTS EAST OF THE FLIGHT PATH HAD INCLUDED LIGHT ICING FROM THE SURFACE TO FIVE THOUSAND. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO SIX THOUSAND. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK CENTER WITH AN ALTITUDE READOUT OF 4500 FT . THE PILOT NEVER ESTABLISHED CONTACT. CLEVELAND CENTER LOST RDAR CONTACT AT 5300 FT AT APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES, CABLES, AND TERRAIN. BASED ON THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY UNTIL IMPACT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS 1,176 FEET LONG.
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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