Piper PA-28-161 N143FT
16 October 1990 · Everglades City, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 16 October 1990 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N143FT, operated by Naples Air Center, Inc., was involved in an accident near Everglades City, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Everglades City, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161
- Registration
- N143FT
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Naples Air Center, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Everglades City → Naples
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- MIA91FA011
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND HIS SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DURING A NIGHT TAKEOFF OVER WATER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE NONINSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PLT DEPARTED ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM A SPARSELY POPULATED AIRFIELD OVER WATER. VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED, HOWEVER NO NATURAL HORIZON OR SURFACE REFERENCE WAS AVAILABLE. THE ELEVATION OF THE MOON WAS -43.7 DEGREES WITH 7% ILLUMINATION. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CLIMB TO 125-300 FEET AGL ON A RIGHT CROSSWIND DEPARTURE AND LEVEL OFF. THE AIRPLANE MADE A LEFT TURN DESCENDING IN A 20 DEGREE NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE, RIGHT WING LOW, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND COLLIDED WITH THE WATER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 1990 | Piper PA-28-151 | Jupiter, Florida, United States | Zimmerman, Barry L. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28-161 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Chandler Air Service | No injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Agua Dulce, California, United States | R.i. Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 May 1990 | Piper PA-28-181 | East Lansing, Michigan, United States | J. J. Tiefenthaler | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Forsyth, Montana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1990 | Piper PA-28-161 | Sebastian, Florida, United States | FL Institute of Technology | Fatal | 1 |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 1990 | Lockheed L1329 | Miami, Florida, United States | Tokoph, David | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Dec 1990 | Cessna 172G | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Weeks, Milton D. | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1990 | Piper PA-30 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | Calley, Nicholas O. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1990 | Piper J-3 | Clewiston, Florida, United States | Nesbitt, James K. | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Dec 1990 | Beechcraft F33A | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Globe Aero Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1990 | Beechcraft 58 | Pensacola, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |