At about 1648 eastern time, a Piper PA-31 suffered a loss of control and crashed at Clearwater Air Park. The pilot-in-command seated in the right front seat and the pilot-rated passenger in the left front seat were killed. A pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries. A witness said he saw the airplane on what he thought was final approach to runway 16, but the airplane was very low. The witness reported the airplane made a, sudden, sharp turn to the left. Another witness who was located a quarter-mile from the accident site said the airplane was flying eastbound at a very slow airspeed and banking and yawing left and right. He said it appeared the pilot was executing a go-around, as evidenced by the landing gear retracting, followed by the flaps. The airplane then appeared to make an unstable climb before banking right, stalling and spinning to the ground.
August 21, Clearwater, Fla. / Piper Navajo
At about 1648 eastern time, a Piper PA-31 suffered a loss of control and crashed at Clearwater Air Park. The pilot-in-command seated in the right front seat and the pilot-rated passenger in the left front seat were killed. A pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries. A witness said he saw the airplane on what he thought was final approach to runway 16, but the airplane was very low. The witness reported the airplane made a, sudden, sharp turn to the left. Another witness who was located a quarter-mile from the accident site said the airplane was flying eastbound at a very slow airspeed and banking and yawing left and right. He said it appeared the pilot was executing a go-around...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-31 crashed at Clearwater Air Park, killing the pilot-in-command and a pilot-rated passenger, and seriously injuring another pilot-rated passenger.
- Witnesses described the aircraft as being on a very low final approach before making a sudden, sharp turn to the left.
- Another witness observed the airplane appearing to execute a go-around with gear and flaps retracting, followed by an unstable climb, a right bank, a stall, and a spin to the ground.
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