Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
South Kingstown, Rhode Island 02879
Sunday, September 3, 2000 13:46 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was headed southwest, level at 8,000 feet, either in, or above instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot was instructed to change radio frequency, and after he checked in with the next sector controller, no further transmissions were heard from him. The airplane descended to 7,400 feet, then climbed to 8,500 feet over a period of 4 minutes. It remained at 8,500 feet for about a minute, then descended to and maintained between 8,100 and 8,200 feet for another minute. The airplane then made a descending turn to the right, with rates of descent up to approximately 16,000 feet per minute. The wreckage path was 1,900 feet in length, and began with parts from the airplane's tail section. About 500 feet from the beginning, was a section of the right wing, and 400 feet beyond that, the entire left wing. The stabilator spar and left wing separations exhibited downwards bending. The airplane was equipped with a vacuum-driven attitude indicator (AI) and directional gyro (DG). It also had a standby vacuum system, which required a reduction of power to properly operate. One low-vacuum annunciator light exhibited filament characteristics consistent with its being lit at the time of the accident. The other light was a diode-type, and could only be/was tested as operational. Post-accident examination found that the vacuum pump flex coupling was sheared, and the vacuum-driven instruments did not exhibit any rotational scoring. The vacuum pump coupling was manufactured in 1979. The manufacturer recommended changing the coupling every 6 years. There was no regulatory requirement to change the coupling, nor was there any regulatory requirement for redundant systems in case of vacuum system failure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control, and his subsequent overstress of the airplane after a vacuum system failure during flight in instrument meteorological conditions. Factors included the instrument meteorological conditions, a sheared coupling on the vacuum pump, the pilot/owner's failure to ensure the coupling was changed per the manufacturer's recommendations, a lack of regulatory requirement to ensure compliance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and a lack of regulatory requirement to ensure installation of a suitable backup system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1346 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SOUTH KINGSTOWN |
| Event State | RHODE ISLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02879 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412615N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0713231W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1345 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OQU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11341 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England Com Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 3 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1600 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 23 2002 7:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8230G |
| NTSB Number | NYC00FA248 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8013102 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 7 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1458 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SAMUEL M. PALLEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HUNTINGDON VLY |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19006 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CQX |
| Departure City | CHATHAM |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | -- |
| Departure Time | 1305 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PNE |
| Destination City | PHILADELPHIA |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2002 2:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |