1972 — Apr 9, American Air Service Cherokee-6 loses power, crashes ~AP, Fort Payne AL–7

–7 Associated Press. “Air Crash Kills Seven.” The Decatur Daily, AL. 4-10-1972, p. 1.
–7 Aviation Safety Network. American Air S Piper Cherokee Six crash, Fort Payne AL, 4-9-1972
–7 National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MIA72AM107…Piper PA-32.”

Narrative Information

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MIA72AM107.”
“Aircraft: Piper PA-32, registration: N3953W
“File 3-0667
“Date 72/4/9, time – 1600
“Location Fort Payne, Ala
“Aircraft Data Piper PA-32 N353W
“Injuries CR- 1 [fatal]
PX- 6 [fatal
“Flight Purpose Noncommercial pleasure/personal
“Pilot Data Private, age 30, 106 total hours, 23 in type, not instrument rated.
“Name of airport Isbell
“Departure point Gadsden, Ala
“Intended Destination Unknow/not reported
“Type of accident Stall: spin
“Phase of Operation Landing: final approach
“Probable Cause Pilot in command – failed to obtain/maintain flying speed.”

Newspaper

April 10, AP: “Walnut Grove, Ala. (AP) – Seven persons died Sunday when the single-engine airplane in which they were riding crashed in this northeast Alabama community. The craft, a Cherokee-6, was owned by American Air Service, a charter and flight training service based in Gadsden, officials said.

“De Kalb County Coroner Junior Burt identified the dead as: Winfred Roberts, 42, Barbara Roberts, 38, Cathy Roberts, 10, and Danny Roberts, 16, all of Fort Payne; and Jimmy Bailey, 30, Glenda Bailey, 28, and Cheryl Baily, 12, all of Birmingham….

“Officials said the plane had been rented in Gadsden, apparently for a Sunday afternoon outing. It was some two miles from the Fort Payne airport when it sent down into wooded area….

“Walnut Grove is about four miles north of Fort Payne, which is some 25 miles west of the Georgia border….

“Police Chief Bob Parker of Fort Payne said the plane ‘suddenly lost power as it was circling a nearby airfield.’ He said Baily, the pilot, asked permission to land and was told to use Runway 22. ‘Instead he had approached Runway Four and would have collided with a second plane using that runway if he hadn’t gunned the engine and pulled away. ‘He was circling the field once more to line up on the correct runway when he dipped from sight into the trees,’ Parker said….

“Mrs. Roberts and Bailey were sister and brother.” (Associated Press. “Air Crash Kills Seven.” The Decatur Daily, AL. 4-10-1972, p. 1 and 5.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Air Crash Kills Seven.” The Decatur Daily, AL. 4-10-1972, p. 1. Accessed 7-19-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/decatur-daily-apr-10-1972-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. American Air S Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six crash, Fort Payne AL, 4-9-1972. Accessed 7-19-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/13659

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MIA72AM107…Piper PA-32.”
Accessed 7-19-2023 at: https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/brief.aspx?ev_id=64019&key=0