Harvey Partridge was piloting the plane he and his wife, Pat were in when something went wrong and the plane went down in a state park near the Raleigh-Durham airport October 20th. The NTSB is investigating.
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Greensboro, North Carolina
Piper Aircraft; Vero Beach, Florida
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/N534Z
Location: Raleigh, NC
Accident Number: ERA20FA014
Date & Time: 10/20/2019, 1921 EDT
Registration: N534Z
Aircraft: Piper PA32
Injuries:2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On October 20, 2019, about 1921 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-301, N534Z, was destroyed following a collision with terrain in Raleigh, North Carolina, while on approach to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Morrisville, North Carolina. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a corporation and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Columbus Airport (CSG), Columbus, Georgia about 1605 and was destined for RDU.
According to preliminary air traffic control data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot initially requested the RNAV GPS Runway 5R approach to RDU; however, due to local traffic he was told to expect the RNAV GPS Runway 32 approach. The pilot subsequently reported that he had GPS and autopilot issues and the controller subsequently provided radar vectors to NOSIC waypoint for the straight-in approach to runway 32. The controller asked the pilot if he had NOSIC identified, and the pilot reported that he did. The pilot continued the approach and intercepted the final approach course inbound for runway 32. The pilot reportedly "broke out" of the clouds on a 7 mile final at an altitude of 1,800 ft mean sea level (msl). The controller cleared the pilot for the visual approach to runway 32, and the pilot responded that he saw "lots of lights" but he did not see the runway. Between 6 and 7 miles from the runway, at 1,300 ft msl, the controller issued the pilot a low altitude alert with instructions to climb to 2,000 ft. The pilot responded that he thought he had the airport beacon in sight and the controller again cleared him for the visual approach to runway 32; the pilot did not respond. About 5 miles from the runway, at 1,400 ft, the pilot asked, "How am I doing on altitude?" The controller responded that he was "fine" and confirmed 1,400 ft. The controller again asked the pilot if he had the runway in sight, and stated that if he did, he was cleared for the visual approach. The pilot responded that he only could identify the beacon, so the controller told him that he would turn up the intensity of the runway lights. When the airplane was between 3 and 4 miles on final and at 1,000 ft, the controller again asked him if he had the runway in sight, and the pilot responded that he believed it was coming into view. The pilot was directed to contact RDU tower and communication was established with tower when the airplane was about 1,000 ft msl and 3 miles from the runway. The tower controller asked the pilot if he had the runway in sight; the pilot confirmed that he did. The controller then asked the pilot if he was on a 2-mile final; the pilot did not respond. No further communications were received from the pilot and radar contact was lost. The wreckage was subsequently located about 1000 on October 21.
The airplane crashed in a thickly-wooded area within the confines of the 5,579-acre William B. Umstead State Park. The wreckage path was about 400 ft long and about 50 ft wide, oriented on a heading of 320º. The main wreckage was located about 1.2 miles southeast of the runway 32 threshold. The initial point of impact was a 100-ft-tall pine tree, and a large section of the right wing remained lodged near the top of the tree. There was no fire. The engine was found separated from the airframe and the propeller assembly was separated from the engine. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the flight control surfaces. All aircraft components and structure were accounted for at the accident site.
The pilot, who co-owned the airplane, held an FAA private pilot certificate with ratings for multiengine land, single engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on December 13, 2017. At that time, he reported 4,000 hours of flight experience.
Reported weather conditions at RDU, at 1951, included overcast clouds at 1,400 ft, greater than 10 miles visibility, and no precipitation. Sunset occurred at 1831 and evening civil twilight ended at 1857.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N534Z
Model/Series: PA32 301
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night/Dark
Observation Facility, Elevation: KRDU, 435 ft msl
Observation Time: 1951 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / 14°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Light and Variable / , Variable
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1400 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.9 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Columbus, GA (CSG)
Destination: Raleigh, NC (RDU)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.854167, -78.757778 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Harvey and Patricia Partridge
MORRISVILLE, North Carolina — Two days after a small plane crashed on approach to Raleigh-Durham International Airport Sunday night, crews removed the wreckage of the doomed Piper PA-32-301 Saratoga Tuesday from Umstead State Park.
A large crane was brought in to extricate the mangled plane from the wooded park, made up of nearly 6,500 acres that sits adjacent to RDU.
Dr. Harvey Partridge and Patricia Partridge, both 72, of Terra Ceia, Florida, were killed when the plane went down Sunday around 7:30 p.m. The couple was arriving in North Carolina for a vacation, according to family friends.
Friends of the family told WRAL News that Harvey Partridge was an experienced pilot who had logged thousands of hours in the air.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which occurred on a cloudy night with a low cloud ceiling.
The plane struck a tree and was found about 10 a.m. Monday upside down near the Reedy Creek multi-use trail following an extensive overnight search.
A statement by the FAA identified the plane as a Piper PA-32-301 Saratoga that was on approach to Runway 32 when radar contact with the small aircraft was lost. That runway is the smallest of three landing strips and perpendicular to RDU's primary runway.
Flight tracking data shows that the Partridges' took off from Columbus, Georgia, and their plane circled RDU multiple times.
According to an RDU spokeswoman, airport workers were notified at 7:25 p.m. Sunday by air traffic controllers from the Federal Aviation Administration that a small aircraft approaching the airport disappeared from radar somewhere over Umstead State Park, which is adjacent to the east side of RDU.
Story and video ➤ https://www.wral.com
Dr. Harvey Partridge and his wife Pat were killed when their plane crashed on approach to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Harvey Partridge founded St. Petersburg's Partridge Animal Hospital in 1978.
Two people were killed when a small plane crashed in William B. Umstead State Park as it was attempting to land at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Sunday evening.
The State Highway Patrol announced the fatalities at noon Monday. They were later identified as Dr. Harvey Partridge, a veterinarian, and his wife Patricia Partridge, both 72, of Terra Ceia, Florida, near St. Petersburg, where Partridge founded Partridge Animal Hospital. A post on the hospital’s Facebook page described Partridge as “an experienced pilot.”
The plane was found off the Reedy Creek Trail shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, more than 14 hours after it was reported missing, said RDU spokeswoman Crystal Feldman. She said she did not have information about where the flight originated.
The plane is a Piper PA-32, a single-engine plane that seats up to six people, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The federal agency said the plane was approaching Runway 32, a small general aviation runway that extends east-west, perpendicular to the airport’s two main runways, when air traffic controllers lost contact with it.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation to determine what caused the crash. Board spokesman Keith Holloway said an investigator will examine the plane and the scene of the crash, review communications, radar data and weather information and try to speak to witnesses, if any. The investigator also will review maintenance records for the plane and the pilot’s medical and flying history.
The NTSB will release a preliminary report, describing the facts surrounding the crash, in about 10 days, Holloway said. A final report identifying the likely cause of the crash could take a year or more to complete.
FAA air traffic controllers contacted the airport about 7:25 p.m. Sunday to say they had lost radar contact with a plane as it approached RDU. A statement from the airport later in the evening said the small general aviation aircraft was near Umstead State Park, which borders the east side of RDU.
The airport’s runways were closed for about 20 minutes as fire and rescue crews responded to the report of a missing plane.
Searchers combed through Umstead in the dark Sunday night looking for the plane. Feldman said a State Highway Patrol helicopter looked for a heat signature on the ground, which might indicate the plane’s location, but the search was suspended about 2 a.m.
“Umstead State Park is 5,200 acres of dense forest with few roads and little to no light,” Feldman said Sunday. “It could take a very long time for us to find this plane.”
The search resumed at dawn Monday. It was led by the Raleigh Fire Department, with help from a dozen state and local rescue and law enforcement agencies.
Kendall Hocutt, the Raleigh Fire Department’s assistant chief of operations, described the search area as “rugged,” but did not provide any more details about where the plane crashed. Reedy Creek Trail runs the length of the park, from near RDU to where it emerges on the Raleigh side at Reedy Creek Road.
Umstead closed for the day Monday. The park will remain closed until the bodies have been removed from the plane and the NTSB investigator is finished with the site, said parks spokeswoman Katie Hall. It could reopen as early as Tuesday morning, Hall said, but perhaps as late as Wednesday.
Small planes often fly over the forests of Umstead on their approach to RDU, and a handful have crashed in the park over the years. In 1992, Wake County Commissioner Herb Stout and his passenger, Brian R. Benson of Durham, died when their Piper Arrow crashed into the woods as Stout prepared to land.
The pilot of a skydiving plane on its way from Illinois to North Carolina for maintenance was killed when the twin-engine aircraft crashed into the park shortly after midnight in the summer of 2000. Two passengers survived and spent three hours huddled in a sleeping bag near the wreckage until a park ranger, drawn by the smell of aviation fuel, found them.
Story and video ➤ https://www.newsobserver.com
Dr. Harvey Partridge
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WNCN) — A husband and his wife are dead after a plane crashed short of Raleigh-Durham International Airport Sunday night
After multiple agencies had to stop searching because of darkness, crews were able to locate the single-engine Piper off of the Reedy Creek Trail in the Umstead State Park on Monday.
The park is still closed, and as investigators try to piece together what happened those who live in the area tell CBS17 they were surprised to find out a plane crashed because they didn’t hear or see anything.
“We thought somebody had been hiking in the park and had an accident,” said Tamara Dunn.
After a decade of living on the doorstep of the Umstead State Park, Dunn says it’s all too common to see first responders headed into the forest, but something about Sunday night seemed different.
“First, the police department went by, and then the fire department went by,” said Dunn. “We walked down to check on our neighbor and make sure everything was OK down there. That’s when we found out a plane had gone down inside the park.”
As crews searched into the night for the wreckage Dunn did the only thing she could to try and help.
“We ended up leaving the porch light on just in case someone came wandering out and saw the light,” said Dunn.
Nearly 15 hours after the plane crashed into the 5600-acre state park it was discovered along a popular hiking trail.
“It was a rugged area,” said Raleigh Assistant Fire Chief Kendall Hocutt. “There was a lot of debris, and trees. It was difficult to locate which caused us some issues.”
The pilot, 72-year-old Harvey Partridge, and his wife Patricia passed away in the crash.
“I think the airport does a really great job with their safety,” said Dunn. “I think that sometimes tragedies happen for whatever reason. Until they have more information it’s going to be hard to say.”
The NTSB has investigators on the scene of the crash.
CBS17 is told the NTSB will be looking into the flight path, the weather conditions, and the pilot’s history.
Story and video ➤ https://www.cbs17.com
RALEIGH, North Carolina — A Florida couple – a 72-year-old veterinarian and his wife – died when a plane crashed Sunday night in Raleigh.
Search and rescue crews located the plane around 10 a.m. Monday in William B. Umstead State Park, upside down in a tree near the Reedy Creek multi-use trail following an extensive overnight search.
"It was a rugged area, a lot of debris, trees," said Raleigh Fire Department Assistant Chief Kendall Hocutt about the crash site. "It was difficult to locate."
Dr. Harvey Partridge and Patricia Partridge, both 72, of Terra Ceia, Fla., were on board. Friends of the family told WRAL News that he was an experienced pilot who had logged thousands of hours in the air.
The couple was on vacation in North Carolina, friends said.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport officials said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash along with the State Highway Patrol and North Carolina Parks officials.
According to an RDU spokeswoman, airport workers were notified at 7:25 p.m. Sunday by air traffic controllers from the Federal Aviation Administration that a small aircraft approaching the airport disappeared from radar somewhere over Umstead State Park, which is adjacent to the east side of RDU.
A statement by the FAA identified the plane as a Piper PA32 that was on approach to Runway 32 when radar contact with the small aircraft was lost. That runway is the smallest of three landing strips and perpendicular to RDU's primary runway.
Flight tracking data shows that the Partridges' took off from Columbus, Ga., and their plane circled RDU multiple times.
"If you have the airport in sight, if you have 3-2 in sight, you can do a visual approach. Just look for a visual approach runway 3-2," the tower told Harvey Partridge.
"The only thing I see is the beacon," he answered.
"Ok. We’re going to turn the lights up to see if you can see the runway," the tower answered.
Airport fire and first responder crews were dispatched to the scene, which prompted the airport to suspend operations for about 30 minutes, said Crystal Feldman, vice president of communications, government and community affairs at the airport.
All flights were running on a normal schedule Monday morning.
Almost 15 agencies from Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Wake Forest, Holly Springs and New Hope were assisting with search and rescue efforts Monday.
Story and video ➤ https://www.wral.com
Figure 1 – View of the wreckage looking to the northwest, downslope.
Harvell Jackson Walker
