At about 13:20 eastern time, a Piper PA-24-250 struck mountains near Paris, killing the pilot. IMC prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilots son said the airplane was being repositioned for an annual inspection. Examination of the wreckage found it was being operated on a mixture of auto gas and avgas. The seat belts were found unbuckled. An annual inspection had been performed at the departure airport, but the pilot was reportedly upset by the discrepancies noted. The mechanic noted in the logbooks that the airplane was unairworthy. The pilot did not obtain a ferry permit to reposition the airplane. The pilot reported more than 2,000 flight hours on his last medical application, but he had flown less than 3.5 hours in the last year.
March 31, Paris, Va. / Piper Comanche
At about 13:20 eastern time, a Piper PA-24-250 struck mountains near Paris, killing the pilot. IMC prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilots son said the airplane was being repositioned for an annual inspection. Examination of the wreckage found it was being operated on a mixture of auto gas and avgas. The seat belts were found unbuckled. An annual inspection had been performed at the departure airport, but the pilot was reportedly upset by the discrepancies noted. The mechanic noted in the logbooks that the airplane was unairworthy. The pilot did not obtain a ferry permit to reposition the airplane. The pilot reported more than 2,000 flight hours on his last medical application, b...
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot was killed in a mountain crash under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) while operating an unairworthy aircraft without a ferry permit.
- Investigators found multiple safety violations, including an unfiled flight plan, unbuckled seatbelts, and an unauthorized fuel mixture of auto gas and avgas.
- Despite reporting over 2,000 flight hours, the pilot had logged less than 3.5 hours in the preceding year and was reportedly upset by discrepancies noted during a recent inspection.
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