Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gulfport, Mississippi 39501
Saturday, March 3, 2001 14:22 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to transcripts of the Saint Petersburg AFSS telephone brief of flight conditions given to a person represented as the pilot of N911PL for a VFR flight plan between Tampa, Florida and Beaumont, Texas, on March 3, 2001. Due to a stationary frontal system lying between northern Georgia and a point in the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans, severe thunderstorm watches were in effect, moderate turbulence, strong headwinds, surface and aloft hail to 1 inch possible, wind gusts to 60 knots possible with maximum tops of thunderstorms about 45,000 feet existed along his intended flight path. Numerous SIGMETS, AIRMETS, and weather watches were in effect prior to and during the actual flight. The destination forecast called for IFR ceilings until 2000 local time although the flight plan called for a destination arrival time of 1438. The flight departed Tampa at 1208 and was advised by FAA Gulfport Approach Control that FAA New Orleans Approach Control recommended the flight not continue VFR. Once the pilot accepted the recommendation, Gulfport suggested a heading, but the radar return was observed to take a different heading, start a high rate of descent, and communications ceased at 1422 local time. A Coast Guard helicopter sighted wreckage pieces at about the 216 degree radial/ 17 miles from the Gulfport VOR at about 1509. A Coast Guard vessel was dispatched to the scene and recovered aircraft seats, interior parts, personal luggage, and an undeployed life raft. Subsequently, the left wing was recovered and the wing/fuselage attachments underwent NTSB Materials Laboratory analysis. The fractures were indicative of overstress in the upward, (assuming upright aircraft orientation) direction. No other pieces of the wreckage nor the pilot was recovered to date.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's attempted flight into known adverse weather, resulting in an in flight loss of control, exceedance of design limits of the aircraft, and wing separation prior to collision with water.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1422 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Gulfport |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39501 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 311130N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0891700W |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1434 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 36 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KGPT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 28 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.54 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11511 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm CTR-SE |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 3 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1620 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2002 1:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Jackson |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N911PL |
| NTSB Number | MIA01LA089 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7887251 |
| 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 | Jul 1 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1642 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | S and E Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 26982 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Tampa |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33623 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TPA |
| Departure City | Tampa |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1208 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BMT |
| Destination City | Beaumont |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering - turn to reverse direction |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 1 2002 2:44PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| 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 | -- |