Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Raleigh/Durham International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Apex, North Carolina 27502
Sunday, March 31, 2002 11:53 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Upon arriving at the destination airport, the pilot was issued radar vectors to a final approach course for the ILS runway 5R approach. While on the final approach course the controller issued course correction information to the pilot, but the erratic movement of the airplane continued until the airplane descended and disappeared from radar coverage. A witness near the accident site saw the airplane as it fell from the sky in several pieces. Examination of the accident site disclosed that the airplane wreckage was scattered over an area 3/4 mile long. The wreckage examination also failed to disclose a mechanical or system malfunction or component failure. A review of the weather data showed low clouds with a 5500 foot overcast condition at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot experienced spatial disorientation that resulted in the loss of control and the overload failure of the airframe. A factor was low visibility and ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/31/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1153 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Apex |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27502 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 354620N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0785554W |
| Event Location Airport | Raleigh/Durham International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RDU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 9.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 304 |
| Airport Elevation | 436 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RDU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 436 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 201 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | METAR KRDU 311651Z 04007KT 1 1/2SM BR BKN005 OVC05 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 15975 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 31 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 1 2004 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro FSDO - 05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2BX |
| NTSB Number | ATL02FA069 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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-34-200T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34-7770344 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 3443 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Louis Miller Scheidt, Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6216 Trevor Court |
| Aircraft Owner City | Raleigh |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27613 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | SSI |
| Departure City | Brunswick |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RDU |
| Destination City | Raleigh-Durham |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 5 2004 2:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 5R |
| Runway Length | 7500 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |