Daleville, IN, USA
N125TT
Piper PA-31P
The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire, when it impacted the ground about 3.7 miles from the destination airport. The airplane had been cleared for an ILS approach to the airport. No anomalies were found during the on-scene examination of the airframe, engine or gyroscopic flight instruments that could be associated with a pre-existing condition. The minimum descent altitude for the approach is 243 feet above ground level. The inbound course for the instrument approach is 298 degrees magnetic. The radar data shows that the airplane headed in a northerly direction prior to commencing a left turn onto the inbound course of the instrument approach. The last radar return, was received prior to the airplane reaching the locator outer marker for the approach. Altitude returns show the airplane descending from a pressure altitude of 4,000 feet to a pressure altitude of 2,800 feet. The 2,800-foot return was the final return received. The wreckage path was distributed on a magnetic heading of approximately 145 degrees. The weather reporting station located at the destination airport recorded a 100 foot overcast ceiling with 1 statute mile of visibility about 20 minutes prior to the accident. The current weather was available to the pilot via the Automated Weather Observing System at the destination airport. No communications were received from the airplane after controllers authorized the pilot to change to the destination airport's advisory frequency.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 17, 2002, at 2306 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-31P, N125TT, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed by impact forces and fire, when it impacted the ground about 3.7 nautical miles and 105 degrees magnetic from the Anderson Municipal/Darlington Field Airport (AID), Anderson, Indiana. The airplane had been cleared for the ILS runway 30 approach to AID. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from the Callaway Airport, LaGrange, Georgia at 2056, and was en route to AID. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 52, held a commercial pilot certificate, issued on February 24, 2002, with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot also held a second-class medical certificate that was issued on September 11, 2001. The limitations section of the medical certificate stated, "Holder must wear corrective lenses." According to a pilot logbook found at the accident site, the pilot had accumulated the following flight experience: Total flight experience: 1011.2 hours Pilot in command: 927.4 hours Dual received: 144.3 hours Second in command: 84.1 hours Airplane multiengine land: 680.7 hours Airplane single-engine land: 320.9 hours Simulated instrument: 62.3 hours Actual instrument: 193.8 hours Night: 256.7 hours Cross-country: 796.1 hours The recovered logbook shows that the pilot had performed 6 precision instrument approaches, 3 non-precision instrument approaches, and had accumulated 12.5 hours of instrument flight time in actual instrument conditions between February 06, 2002, and March 07, 2002. The first recorded entry in the logbook was dated January 28, 2002. The last recorded logbook entry was dated March 07, 2002. Pilot flight records prior to January 28, 2002 were not recovered. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a twin-engine 1974 Piper PA-31P, serial number 31P-7400187. Two geared Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A engines powered the airplane. Each engine was rated for 425 horsepower. According to maintenance records, the airplane received its most recent annual inspection on May 04, 2001. The logbook entry indicated that, on the date of the annual inspection, the airplane had accumulated 3960.4 hours time in service at a recording hour meter reading of 245.6 hours. According to a maintenance record entry dated June 11, 1999, the left engine, serial number RL-554-62, had accumulated 1,070.7 hours since overhaul. The recording hour meter reading was 0.0 hours as of the date of this inspection. The records show that the engine was inspected in accordance with an annual inspection on May 04, 2001, at an hour meter reading of 245.6 hours. The most recent maintenance entry for the left engine was dated November 05, 2001, and the hour meter reading was recorded to be 278.1 hours. According to a maintenance record entry dated June 11, 1999, the right engine, serial number RL-508-62, had accumulated 32.56 hours since overhaul. The records show that the engine was inspected in accordance with an annual inspection on May 04, 2001, at an hour meter reading of 245.6 hours. The most recent maintenance entry for the right engine was dated January 31, 2002, and the hour meter reading was recorded to be 281.1 hours. The recording hour meter was severely damaged and the core of the hour meter read 276.8 hours when the airplane was examined after removal from the accident site. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The destination airport is served by an Automated Weather Observing System that allows pilots to obtain current weather while in-flight. The Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) for AID listed the weather at 2145 as: Wind direction: 190 degrees Wind speed: 7 knots Visibility: 1 3/4 statute mile with mist Sky condition: 300 feet overcast Temperature: 6 degrees Celsius Dewpoint: 5 degrees Celsius Altimeter setting: 30.02 inches of mercury. The METAR for AID listed the weather at 2245 as: Wind direction: 190 degrees Wind speed: 6 knots Visibility: 1 statute mile with mist Sky condition: 100 feet overcast Temperature: 6 degrees Celsius Dewpoint: 5 degrees Celsius Altimeter setting: 30.00 inches of mercury. The METAR for AID listed the weather at 2345 as: Wind direction: 210 degrees Wind speed: 6 knots Visibility: 1 statute mile with mist Sky condition: 100 feet overcast Temperature: 6 degrees Celsius Dewpoint: 5 degrees Celsius Altimeter setting: 30.02 inches of mercury. AIDS TO NAVIGATION AID is served by an instrument landing system (ILS) approach procedure for runway 30. The ILS approach provides both lateral and vertical guidance for alignment for landing. The inbound magnetic heading for the approach is listed as 298 degrees. The instrument procedure lists a decision height altitude of 1,162 feet above sea level (MSL). The airport elevation is 919 feet. The missed approach procedure is listed as; "Climb to 2000 then climbing right turn to 2700 direct VIDEO LOM/Int and hold." VIDEO is depicted on the approach procedure as the locator outer marker. The approach procedure shows that VIDEO is located 4.9 nautical miles and 118 degrees from the runway threshold. The initial impact point is about 1.9 nautical miles and 325 degrees from VIDEO. COMMUNICATIONS The aircraft was in communication with the Indianapolis air route traffic control center (ARTCC). The following excerpts are from transcripts of the recorded conversations between the Indianapolis ARTCC and N125TT. The agencies making transmissions are: N125TT (N125TT); Indianapolis ARTCC Nabb Sector Radar Position (ABB R); Indianapolis Approach (IND); Indianapolis ATRCC Shelbyville Sector Radar Position (SHB R); Indianapolis ATRCC Shelbyville Sector Radar Position Relieving Controller (SHB R/R); Dayton Automated Flight Service Station (DAY). The full transcripts are contained in the public docket of this accident report. 2217:24 N125TT indy center good evening navajo one two five tango tango checkin on one four fourteen thousand 2217:29 ABB R one two five tango tango indy center roger louisville altimeter three zero zero six 2217:35 N125TT double oh six thanks 2220:30 N125TT and indy navajo one two five tango tango request 2220:35 ABB R ah one tango tango say again 2220:37 N125TT yeah we just got the weather there fir indianapolis it doesn't look too good for ah approaches what's anderson doing can you get the weather for me 2220:44 ABB R ah let me see what i can find standby 2221:05 ABB R ah november five tango tango anderson ah zero two four five observation ah winds one niner zero at nine knots ah visibility one mile---ah---ah broken overcast three hundred---um---and ah---altimeter is three zero zero one there 2221:24 N125TT any better weather anyplace else uh---you guys are half a mile and---and ah hundred feet that isn't gonna work 2222:23 ABB R ah november five tango tango ah---well louisville is uh--- visibility five miles with light rain broken ah sixty five hundred---ah overcast eight thousand five hundred 2222:40 N125TT well---i suppose we could make a try at anderson and see what happens and then come back to louisville i guess i got plenty of fuel 2222:48 ABB R yeah it looks like it's as far south as bloomington from what i'm looking at but the different weather here ah bloomington is a quarter mile with fog also 2223:03 N125TT well is it gettin worse or is it gonna get better cause it's not gonna get any better then i might as well go to louisville 2223:10 ABB R ah let me ah let me call indy approach see what they have to say standby 2223:16 ABB R indy south nabb ah sixty seven question 2223:18 IND yes sir 2223:19 ABB R i've got a ah november five tango tango here he's over louisville right now ah headin to anderson he's lookin at the weather up there uh---is is it supposed to be gettin any better do you know ah i don't really know what to tell him 2223:30 IND well i'll tell you what i gotta guy going into metro i'll ask about---he's trying to make an approach there right now about twenty miles southwest we'll see what it looks like 2223:36 ABB R okay 2223:36 IND what's muncies weather up there 2223:38 ABB R well i hadn't looked at muncie i was looking to the south--- muncies three quarters of a mile 2223:43 IND muncies three quarters of a mile 2223:44 ABB R yeah 2223:44 IND i'd say andersons probably closer or better than what we are 2223:47 ABB R well i just looked up the anderson i'm trying to remember what that was it wasn't much better lets see ah it's a it's a mile i guess but he said that wasn't good enough either 2223:54 IND okay 2223:55 ABB R so i don't know what he's 2223:55 IND well ours not that good i'll guarantee ya a half mile here and twenty eight hundred r v r 2223:58 ABB R yeah yeah okay i'll let him know 2224:00 IND okay 2224:01 ABB R yeah bye 2224:34 ABB R and five tango tango i just talked to indy approach ah they said that ah---that andersons obviously better than what they've got ah here---and ah they didn't exp they didn't know whether it was gonna get any better or not and ah and didn't really expect it to anytime soon 2224:51 N125TT well we can go to anderson and try the approach and---if it doesn't work ah is it going south like toward louisville or is it---gonna stay up in our area 2225:02 ABB R well it looks like the whole line of weather is moving to the southeast 2225:13 N125TT (unintelligible) three hundred and a mile at anderson 2225:21 ABB R ah---yes it is---and uh at indy it was ah quarter mile---fog 2228:56 IND hey nabb the guy into metro made a missed approach for your guy going into anderson theres a lot of fog up there 2229:01 ABB R all right thank you bud appreciate it 2229:02 IND yep 2229:04 ABB R and november five tango tango indy approach just called me back said they had a guy ah ah shoot an approach into metro that thah that missed ah---up ah east of ah indianapolis there 2229:15 N125TT yeah i just got ah---just got muncies v o r and it said two hundred and a mile and a half---well well i think we'll try it and---so i guess we'll have to come back to louisville 2229:29 ABB R uh five tango tango roger---yeah i'm showing a mile and a quarter at ah muncie right now 2229:38 N125TT is everything movin that way 2229:40 ABB R like i said i think the whole ah---the whole---systems moving to the southeast so it it may clear up 2229:50 ABB R it doesn't look like it's moving real fast though 2231:28 ABB R five tango tango traffic out at ah nine to ten o clock and twelve miles northeast bound descending to one five thousand---it's a ah---delta m d eighty 2233:30 N125TT and indy ah navajo one two five tango tango i'd like to start down as soon you can 2233:35 ABB R five tango tango roger descend and maintain one one thousand 2233:38 N125TT one one eleven thousand for five t t 2236:18 N125TT and indy ah navajo one two five tango tango if you could vector me so i have like five miles from the outer marker i'd appreciate it 2236:27 ABB R ah five tango tango you can talk to indy approach about that they're gonna be doing that when you get closer 2236:31 N125TT thank you 2237:43 ABB R november five tango tango descend and maintain seven thousand 2237:46 N125TT seven thousand for five t t 2240:16 ABB R five tango tango contact indy approach now---on uh---or november five tango tango maintain seven thousand i can't remember if i gave you seven or not maintain seven thousand 2240:25 N125TT stop at seven for five tango tango 2240:27 ABB R five tango tango you can contact indy approach now---on uh--- let's make it one one niner point three 2240:33 N125TT one one niner point three thanks for your help so long 2240:36 ABB R see ya 2249:34 SHB R muncie and anderson have gone home 2249:36 SHB R/R ohhh (unintelligible) 2249:38 SHB R the visibility and the weather is really crappy in the muncie anderson complex had one guy go missed approach three times 2249:46 SHB R/R wow 2249:46 SHB R and then he went up to fort wayne where the visibilitys about three miles better you've got an inbound to anderson right there that thirty one seventy code---i expect for him to have a little bit of trouble gettin in there (unintelligible) 2250:05 SHB R towers are closed so 2250:07 SHB R/R okay 2254:40 IND muncie indianapolis tango tango there is on a three sixty vector for (unintelligible) a five mile lead on there your control 2254:55 SHB R you say t t is on a heading for the localizer 2254:57 IND yeah 2254:57 (unintelligible) 2254:58 IND three six your control 2254:58 SHB R (unintelligible) 2255:25 SHB R andersons ah airport beacons out whatever that means 2255:28 N125TT approach navajo one two five tango tango is four thousand on a heading of three six zero 2255:34 SHB R one two five tango tango indy center roger 2256:04 SHB R little airports are closed they're very very foggy ahh kochie was sittin here before he said he had a guy do ah---three misses at muncie and finally he went on to ah---fort wayne 2256:15 SHB R/R okay 2256:15 SHB R so teeter totter here might have a joy getting in there 2256:19 SHB R/R (unintelligible) 2257:33 SHB R november one two five tango tango on that heading join the ah i l s runway three zero to anderson 2257:38 N125TT intercept the localizer for five t t 2258:30 SHB R and november five tango tango pilots discretion maintain three thousand 2258:34 N125TT down to three thousand for five t t 2300:58 SHB R november five tango tango cleared for the straight in i l s runway three zero approach at anderson maintain three thousand until established on the approach 2301:05 N125TT we're established inbound for five t t 2301:08 SHB R five two tango roger two miles from video radar service terminated---and you can change to advisory frequency cancel with me with cancel with me on this frequency when you're on the ground or ah---flight service 2301:20 N125TT five t t 2301:22 SHB R roger and you should be able to get me on the ground too so ah appreciate if you'd try that first 2301:26 N125TT five t t 2301:28 SHB R so long No further transmissions were received from the accident airplane. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The initial impact point was located, using a global positioning system receiver, at 40-degrees 5.707-minutes north latitude, 85-degrees 32.105-minutes west longitude. The fuselage was at 40-degrees 5.648-minutes north latitude, 85-degrees 31.965-minutes west longitude. The wreckage was distributed in a fan shaped pattern. All major airframe components were located and identified between the initial impact point and the final resting place of the fuselage. The fuselage was located about 365 feet and 145 degrees magnetic from the initial impact point. The fuselage was resting partially on its left side. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent upward. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were bent downward. The top of the vertical stabilizer was bent to the r
The pilots failure to maintain control of the airplane during the instrument approach. The low overcast ceiling and the pilot's in-flight decision to execute the instrument approach in below minimum weather conditions were factors.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
