Piper PA-28-140 N6434R

Summary

On 29 May 1992 at about 18:35 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N6434R, operated by Chamberlain, Dwight N., was involved in an accident near Monarch, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 May 1992 at 18:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Monarch, Montana, United States

Coordinates

46.9793, -110.8501

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N6434R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Chamberlain, Dwight N.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Priest River → Lewistown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA92LA110

1 person had minor injuries.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER FORECAST AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH TREES/TERRAIN. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS: RAIN, LOW CEILINGS AND DOWNDRAFTS, TREES AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING DURING WHICH VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED PRIEST RIVER, EN ROUTE TO LEWISTOWN. APPROXIMATELY 50 NAUTICAL MILES SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION, OVER HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE TOP OF A 7650 FOOT RIDGELINE AND CRASHED. THE PILOT REPORTED LOW CEILINGS AND 1.5 MILES VISIBILITY RESTRICTED BY MODERATE RAIN AND CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO REPORTED A LOSS OF ALTITUDE AT FULL POWER APPROACHING THE RIDGELINE THAT WAS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO ANY AIRCRAFT MALFUNCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.