Piper PA 46-350P accident near Chillicothe, Ohio, January 19, 2001
On January 19, 2001 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Piper PA 46-350P, registered N747RC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chillicothe, Ohio (Ross County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
pilot's improper pre-flight planning and failure to follow the published checklist procedures, which resulted in ice and snow not being removed from the wings prior to take-off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2001 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Chillicothe, Ohio · Ross County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N747RC · registry record · serial 4622088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
When the private pilot, co-pilot and passenger arrived at the airport it began to snow heavily. The airplane was pre-flighted, then towed out of the heated hangar and fueled. The private pilot taxied to the end of the 5,400 foot long runway, parked, and performed an engine run-up. After the run-up, the co-pilot reached the Elkins, West Virginia, AFSS on his cell phone, received a weather briefing, filed an IFR flight plan, and requested an IFR clearance. Since Elkins was not the primary AFSS for the area, the briefer placed him on hold to service his request. The call got disconnected, so he called the FSS back. Due to the long hold time, the co-pilot then called Indianapolis Center and received an IFR clearance. Once the clearance was obtained, the private pilot performed another engine run-up and noticed that about 3 to 4 inches of slush had accumulated on the runway, and about 1/2 to 3/4 inches of slush had accumulated along the surface of both wings. The pilots discussed if they should return to the hangar and wipe off the wings, but agreed that the slush would "blow-off" during the take-off roll. The private pilot estimated that he used about 4,500 feet of the runway before he obtained 80 knots (Vr). He rotated the airplane, but it did not lift normally. To avoid obstructions, the private pilot simultaneously turned the aircraft to the right, and retarded the throttle. The airplane touched down, slid, turned, and came to rest upright facing the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that both wings were covered with snow, and localized areas of ice were found along the top surfaces of both wings near the trailing edge. The air intake and pitot tube were absent of debris. According to the airplane's pre-flight checklist, the wings and empennage surfaces should be clear of ice, snow, and frost prior to take-off. The pilot estimated that from the time the airplane was pulled from the hangar to the time of the accident was about 1-hour. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 672 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 334 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,344 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 12, 2001; 15.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,328 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RZT Chillicothe OH at 8:40 pm
- Destination: KGX Fleming Mason OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:58 pm from LCK, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD01LA029.