Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.&nbsp;
Lombardo holds an A&amp;P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.&nbsp;

Contributor

David A. Lombardo

PIPER PA-31T, HOBBS, N.M., OCT. 30, 2002–At approximately 7:33 a.m. MST the&nbsp; twin-turboprop Piper was destroyed when the pilot lost control shortly after takeoff in IMC. The sole-occupant instrument-rated private pilot was killed in the crash.
N3998Y was on its initial climbout after departing from Runway 3 at the Lea County Regional Airport (HOB) near Hobbs, N.M. The pilot was cleared to 9,000 ft, which he acknowledged when passing through 4,900 ft, with the expectation of further clearance to 17,000 ft. The Part 91 flight was on an IFR flight plan to El Paso (Texas) International Airport (ELP).
When the aircraft reached 5,500 ft, air traffic controllers noticed that it began a descent, but the pilot did not respond to ATC radio calls. According to FAA files, the Piper Cheyenne was registered to Robert Calhoon of Hobbs, N.M. The weather was reported to be 700 ft overcast with three miles visibility in mist.

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