Piper PA-34-200T accident near Galion, Ohio, August 2, 2003
On August 2, 2003 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N577SK, was destroyed in an accident near Galion, Ohio (Galion Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight decision making and flight into known adverse weather conditions while maneuvering to land. Also causal was the pilot's failure to regard the pre-flight weather briefing. Factors were the thunderstorm, rain, wind gusts and hail.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2003 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Galion, Ohio · Galion Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N577SK · no longer on the register · serial 34-8070087
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commercial pilot obtained a weather briefing 2-hours before departing on a short VFR cross country flight. According to the weather briefer, there was the potential for rain and thunderstorms along the pilot's intended route of flight. The pilot's wife, a passenger who sat in the front right seat, said they did not encounter any weather until they arrived at their destination. The rain began hitting the windshield so hard, that it was hard to hear the air traffic controller. The pilot made one attempt to land, but was unable to see out of the front windshield due to the heavy rain, and elected to go-around. He pushed the throttles full forward, and attempted to climb, but stated that the airplane would not climb. A witness, a flight instructor with over 17,000 of flight time, saw the airplane over the runway, in a climb. Shortly after, the weather at the airport became intense with winds gusting to 50 miles per hour, lightning, heavy rain, and hail. The witness said he thought the storm would have produced a tornado.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all
- Last flight review: July 30, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,526.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2003; 18.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental TSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CAK Akron OH at 6:11 pm
- Destination: GQQ Galion OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from MFD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | ||
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.