Piper PA32RT - 300T accident near Sudbury, Ca, March 17, 2015
On March 17, 2015 at about 7:32 pm local time, a Piper PA32RT - 300T, registered CGDWA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Sudbury (Sudbury airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2015 · about 7:32 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Sudbury, Canada · Sudbury · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32RT - 300T · all PA32RT - 300Ts on the register
- Registration
- CGDWA · registered outside the United States · serial 32R-7987047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Med-Law Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CYSB Sudbury at 7:15 pm
- Destination: KINT Winston Salem NC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Sudbury Airport · nearest airport
- Smith Reynolds Airport · bound for
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN15WA178.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.