Piper PA-32RT-300T accident near Gulfport, Mississippi, March 3, 2001
On March 3, 2001 at about 8:22 pm local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, registered N911PL, was destroyed in an accident near Gulfport, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's attempted flight into known adverse weather, resulting in an in flight loss of control, exceedance of design limits of the aircraft, and wing separation prior to collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2001 · about 8:22 pm local time
- Place
- Gulfport, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300T · all PA-32RT-300Ts on the register
- Registration
- N911PL · registry record · serial 32R-7887251
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to transcripts of the Saint Petersburg AFSS telephone brief of flight conditions given to a person represented as the pilot of N911PL for a VFR flight plan between Tampa, Florida and Beaumont, Texas, on March 3, 2001. Due to a stationary frontal system lying between northern Georgia and a point in the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans, severe thunderstorm watches were in effect, moderate turbulence, strong headwinds, surface and aloft hail to 1 inch possible, wind gusts to 60 knots possible with maximum tops of thunderstorms about 45,000 feet existed along his intended flight path. Numerous SIGMETS, AIRMETS, and weather watches were in effect prior to and during the actual flight. The destination forecast called for IFR ceilings until 2000 local time although the flight plan called for a destination arrival time of 1438. The flight departed Tampa at 1208 and was advised by FAA Gulfport Approach Control that FAA New Orleans Approach Control recommended the flight not continue VFR. Once the pilot accepted the recommendation, Gulfport suggested a heading, but the radar return was observed to take a different heading, start a high rate of descent, and communications ceased at 1422 local time. A Coast Guard helicopter sighted wreckage pieces at about the 216 degree radial/ 17 miles from the Gulfport VOR at about 1509. A Coast Guard vessel was dispatched to the scene and recovered aircraft seats, interior parts, personal luggage, and an undeployed life raft. Subsequently, the left wing was recovered and the wing/fuselage attachments underwent NTSB Materials Laboratory analysis. The fractures were indicative of overstress in the upward, (assuming upright aircraft orientation) direction. No other pieces of the wreckage nor the pilot was recovered to date.
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
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,642 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 5:08 pm
- Destination: BMT Beaumont TX
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 8:34 pm from KGPT, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 MIA01LA089.