Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Laurinburg, North Carolina 28352
Sunday, September 5, 1993 9:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP WITH WRECKAGE SCATTERED OVER A 1000 BY 300 FOOT AREA. LARGE PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE, SUCH AS THE LEFT WING, WERE FOUND MORE THAN 150 FEET TO THE SIDE OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE PATH. NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF THE PILOT RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS HEAVY RAIN, LIGHTNING, AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN THE AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED, AND INADVERTENTLY EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/5/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 915
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LAURINBURG
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28352
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 215
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 946 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 245
Weather Observation Facility ID FAY
Elevation of weather observation facility 190
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 300
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 500
Intensity of Precipitation Heavy
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1572
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 5 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:37PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5339F
NTSB Number ATL93FA151
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32R-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32R-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-7680503
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 57
Airframe Hours 5042
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FOX AVIATION INCORPORATED
Aircraft Owner Street Address 103 OLD HICKORY LANE
Aircraft Owner City VERSAILLES
Aircraft Owner State KY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 40383
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TERRY ROBERT MOON
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 303 STONEY POINT ROAD
Operator City PARIS
Operator State KY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 40361
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CRE
Departure City MYRTLE BEACH
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 830
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LEX
Destination City LEXINGTON
Destination State KY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --