National Transportation Safety Board
Aviation Accident Data Summary
Location:

Amagansett, NY

Accident Number:

ERA18LA157

Date & Time:

06/02/2018, 1433 EDT

Registration:

N41173

Aircraft:

PIPER PA 31

Injuries:

4 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under:

Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Analysis
The commercial pilot of the multiengine airplane was the first of a flight of two airplanes to depart on
the cross-country flight, most of which was over the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot of the second airplane
stated that he and the accident pilot reviewed the weather for the route and the destination before
departing; however, there was no record of the accident pilot receiving an official weather briefing
and the information the pilots accessed before the flight could not be determined. The second pilot
departed and contacted air traffic control, which advised him of thunderstorms near the destination;
he subsequently altered his route of flight and landed uneventfully at the destination. The second pilot
stated that he did not hear the accident pilot on the en route air traffic control frequency.
Two inflight weather advisories were issued for the route and the area of the destination about 42 and
15 minutes before the accident flight departed, respectively, and warned of heavy to extreme
precipitation associated with thunderstorms. It could not be determined whether the accident pilot
received these advisories.
Review of air traffic control communications and radar data revealed that, about 5 miles from the
destination airport, the pilot of the accident airplane reported to the tower controller that he was
flying at 700 ft and "coming in below" the thunderstorm. There were no further communications from
the pilot. The airplane's last radar target indicated 532 ft about 2 miles south of the shoreline. The
airplane was found in about 50 ft of water and was fragmented in several pieces. Postaccident
examination revealed no preimpact anomalies with the airplane or engines that would have precluded
normal operation.
A local resident about 1/2 mile from the accident site took several photos of the approaching
thunderstorm, which documented a shelf cloud and cumulus mammatus clouds along the leading
edge of the storm, indicative of potential severe turbulence. Review of weather imagery and the
airplane's flight path showed that the airplane entered the leading edge of "extreme" intensity echoes
with tops near 48,000 ft. Imagery also depicted heavy to extreme intensity radar echoes over the
accident site extending to the destination airport.
It is likely that the pilot encountered gusting winds, turbulence, restricted visibility in heavy rain, and
low cloud ceilings in the vicinity of the accident site and experienced an in-flight loss of control at low
altitude. Such conditions are conducive to the development of spatial disorientation; however, the
reason for the pilot's loss of control could not be determined based on the available information.

Flight Events
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 Enroute - Windshear or thunderstorm
Enroute-descent - Loss of control in flight
Uncontrolled descent - Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's decision to fly under a thunderstorm and a subsequent encounter with turbulence and
restricted visibility in heavy rain, which resulted in a loss of control.

Findings

Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not
attained/maintained - C
Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Convective weather-Thunderstorm-Effect on
operation - C
Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Convective weather-Thunderstorm-Decision
related to condition - C
Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Turbulence-Convective turbulence-Effect on
operation - C
Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Rain-Effect on
operation - C

Pilot Information
Certificate:

Flight Instructor; Commercial

Age:

47

Airplane Rating(s):

Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land

Instrument Rating(s):

Airplane

Other Aircraft Rating(s):

None

Instructor Rating(s):

Airplane Single-engine

Flight Time:

3000 hours (Total, all aircraft)

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ERA18LA157

 Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make:

PIPER

Registration:

N41173

Model/Series:

PA 31 350

Engines:

2 Reciprocating

Operator:

On file

Engine Manufacturer:

Lycoming

Operating Certificate(s)
Held:

On-demand Air Taxi (135)

Engine Model/Series:

TIO-540-J2B

Flight Conducted Under:

Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site:

Instrument Conditions

Condition of Light:

Day

Observation Facility, Elevation:

KHTO, 56 ft msl

Weather Information Source:

Weather Observation Facility

Lowest Ceiling:

Overcast / 2600 ft agl

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction:

Calm / ,

Temperature:

22°C

Visibility

7 Miles

Precipitation and Obscuration:

Light - Thunderstorms - Rain; No Obscuration

Departure Point:

NEWPORT, RI (UUU)

Destination:

EAST HAMPTON, NY (HTO)

Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries:

1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage:

Destroyed

Passenger Injuries:

3 Fatal

Aircraft Fire:

None

Ground Injuries:

N/A

Aircraft Explosion:

None

Latitude, Longitude:

40.571944, -72.074722 (est)

Administrative Information
Investigator In Charge (IIC):

Daniel P Boggs

Adopted Date:

11/06/2019

Note:

The NTSB did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Investigation Docket:

http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/dockList.cfm?mKey=97383

1

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), established in 1967, is an independent federal agency mandated by Congress
through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the
accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government
agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special
investigation reports, safety recommendations, and statistical reviews.
The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence or use of any part of
an NTSB report related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report.

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ERA18LA157