In-flight breakup, Piper PA-32RT-300T, C-GDWA, French River Provincial Park, Ontario, 17 March 2015 .: TU3-5/15-0031E-PDF

“On 17 March 2015, at 1509 Eastern Daylight Time, a privately registered Piper PA-32RT-300T (registration C-GDWA, serial number 32R-7987047) with 3 people on board departed Sudbury, Ontario, on an instrument flight rules flight to Winston Salem, North Carolina. Approximately 30 nautical miles south of the Sudbury Airport, at an altitude of 10 000 feet above sea level (asl), the pilot advised air traffic control that there was a problem and that the aircraft was returning to Sudbury. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to a lower altitude, and observed it turning and descending on radar. During the descent, the aircraft disappeared from radar at 8900 feet asl, then reappeared momentarily at 6300 feet asl and 3800 feet asl, after which there were no further radar contacts. Moments later, the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter emitted a brief signal that was detected by the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue satellite system. A search for the aircraft was initiated, and wreckage was located the following morning. The aircraft had broken up in flight, and debris was found as far as 6500 feet from the main crash site. A post-crash fire had destroyed most of the main wreckage. All 3 people on board were fatally injured. The accident occurred during daylight hours at approximately 1534 Eastern Daylight Time“--Summary.

Permanent link to this Catalogue record:
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Publication information
Department/Agency Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Title In-flight breakup, Piper PA-32RT-300T, C-GDWA, French River Provincial Park, Ontario, 17 March 2015 .
Series title Aviation investigation report ; A15O0031
Publication type Series - View Master Record
Language [English]
Other language editions [French]
Format Electronic
Electronic document
Note(s) Issued also in French under title: Désintégration en vol, Piper PA-32RT-300T, C-GDWA, Parc provincial Rivière des Français (Ontario), 17 mars 2015.
Includes bibliographical references.
Publishing information Gatineau, QC : Transportation Safety Board of Canada, c2016.
Description 17 p. : col. ill.
ISBN 978-0-660-06359-1
Catalogue number
  • TU3-5/15-0031E-PDF
Subject terms Aircraft accidents
Investigations
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