Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-32-260 near Plymouth, NC — 2008-11-01

Final reportERA09LA033
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Date
2008-11-01
Location
Plymouth, NC, USA
Airport
PMZ
Aircraft
PIPER PA-32-260
Registration
N3568W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The Piper Dakota (PA-28-236) pilot's failure to see and avoid the Piper Cherokee (PA-32-260).

NTSB narrative

The pilot of a Piper Cherokee (PA-32-260) was practicing a global-positioning-system (GPS) instrument approach in visual meteorological conditions without a safety observer onboard. Another pilot, in a Piper Dakota (PA-28-236), was also navigating inbound to the airport via GPS. Both pilots stated that they made inbound radio calls, during which they didn't hear each other, but heard a response from an airplane on the ground. The Dakota subsequently overtook the Cherokee and impacted its right side, peeling back the roof. The Dakota then descended, coming to rest inverted in trees, while the Cherokee entered a spin until a low-level recovery, followed by a descent into a river.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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