Piper PA-28-161 N81527

Summary

On 7 April 1993 at about 07:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N81527, operated by Stabel, MAX L., was involved in an accident near Llano, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 April 1993 at 07:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Llano, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.7508, -98.6698

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N81527

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stabel, MAX L.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Temple → Menard

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN93LA039

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC. FACTORS WERE: LOW CEILING, DARK NIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A LOWERING CEILING. HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO LLANO, TEXAS. WHILE TURNING FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES ON THE DOWNSIDE OF A HILL, ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT SAID VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE PREVAILING VISIBILITY WAS FIVE MILES, IT WAS 'RESTRICTED TO ONE TO TWO MILES IN HAZE AND FOG' IN A 'VERY LIGHT MIST.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.