Piper PA-28-181 N4384L
17 February 1991 · Fredonia, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 17 February 1991 at about 02:02 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4384L, operated by South Bay Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Fredonia, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 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 02:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fredonia, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.8593, -112.8406
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181
- Registration
- N4384L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- South Bay Aviation Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bryce Canyon → Grand Canyon
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX91FA106
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INATTENTION TO THE AIRSPEED AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER ATTEMPTING VFR FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE HIS LIMITATIONS OF HIS AIRCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE 22 YEAR OLD PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS DEPARTED ON A THREE DAY EXCURSION OF BRYCE AND THE GRAND CANYON. THE PILOT HAD LOGGED ABOUT 72 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. THE RENTED AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AT NIGHT 68 POUNDS OVER GROSS AND 1 INCH AFT OF THE MOST REARWARD ALLOWABLE C.G. LIMIT. AFTER REACHING THEIR FIRST DESTINATION AND SPENDING THE DAY SIGHTSEEING, THEY DEPARTED AGAIN AT NIGHT FOR THE GRAND CANYON. THE WEATHER WAS MARGINAL WITH SNOW SHOWERS. THE PLANNED 56 MINUTE LEG WAS TRACKED ON RADAR FOR A TOTAL OF 1 HOUR AND 39 MINUTES, A MEANDERING AND UNDULATING TRACK UP TO 13400 FEET MSL WAS RECORDED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WITH 1 HOUR AND 40 MINUTES OF FUEL IN EACH TANK. AT THE ACCIDENT SITE THE RIGHT TANK WAS FULL AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT ABOUT 7000 FEET MSL IN A FLAT SPIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr 1991 | Piper PA-28-140 | Hibbing, Minnesota, United States | WM. & Audrey Svigel | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1991 | Piper PA-28 | Berryville, Arkansas, United States | Snider, Richard D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Nov 1991 | Piper PA-28-161 | Greeley, Colorado, United States | P.c. Flyers | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 1991 | Piper PA-28-180 | Old Bridge, New Jersey, United States | Martin Sade | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 1991 | Piper PA-28-140 | Titusville, Florida, United States | Achord, Marvin L. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Dec 1991 | Piper PA-28-140 | Yuma, Colorado, United States | Aero Training of the Rockies | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 1991 | Grumman G-164B | Arizona City, Arizona, United States | Al-Don Dusting SVC., Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jul 1991 | Cessna 177 | Scottsdale, Arizona, United States | Michael P. Turner | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Sedona, Arizona, United States | Aerovision, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Eagle DW1 | Poston, Arizona, United States | Michael Morris | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1991 | Experimental DSA-1 | Kingman, Arizona, United States | James D. Janson | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1991 | Cessna 402C | Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States | Sierra Nevada Airways | No injuries | - |