The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report of the plane crash at the Boone Golf Course last week that killed one person and seriously injured two others.
Read the entire preliminary report below:
NTSB Identification: ERA16FA169
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, April 25, 2016 in Boone, NC
Aircraft: PIPER PA32, registration: N43576
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 25, 2016, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N43576, was destroyed after a collision with trees, terrain and post-crash fire in Boone, North Carolina. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. The rear seat passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was originating at the time of the accident from Boone Inc. Airport (NC14), Boone, North Carolina.
According to a witness at the approach end of runway 31, he stated that the airplane was approaching at a high rate of speed prior to landing. He said that he did not see the airplane touchdown, but shortly after he saw a plume of smoke on a golf course. Another witness that was in a house on a hill on the right side of the departure end of runway 31, stated that when she saw the airplane, the left wing was low and it collided with a pine tree. She said that the airplane seemed as if it was attempting to gain altitude but collided with another pine tree before descending and “crashing into the golf course.” Witnesses on the golf course reported that they watched the airplane climbout; they stated that the airplane was “bobbling” up and down before hitting the top of a stand of pine trees. The airplane nosed down and collided on the golf course before bursting into flames. The witnesses on the golf course observed the occupants exit the airplane and assisted them before the local authorities arrived.
Examination of the wreckage site revealed that the airplane initially impacted a stand of 75-foot-tall pine trees. Parts of the left wing and fresh cut branches were observed throughout the stand of pine trees. The airplane continued on the wreckage path until it came to rest on a golf course. The debris path was orientated on a magnetic heading of about 310 degrees and extended about 126 ft. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, the rudder and vertical stabilizer, the left and right horizontal elevator. The outboard section of the left wing was fragmented along the wreckage path. The right wing was located with the main fuselage and it was consumed by fire. A post-impact fire consumed the cockpit, cabin, and baggage area. The instrument panel and avionics were destroyed by fire. The airplane was retained for further examination.
At 1255, surface weather observation for NC14, about .50 miles northwest of the accident site, included wind from 330 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles. The temperature was 21 degrees Celsius (C), the dew point was 6 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 30.11 inches of mercury.
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