Piper PA-32-300 N4108R

Summary

On 18 November 1994 at about 17:58 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N4108R, operated by Stephen M. Mumford, was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 November 1994 at 17:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Flagstaff Pulliam (FLG)

Coordinates

35.2299, -111.7206

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N4108R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stephen M. Mumford

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Canyon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95FA262

2 people died.

the pilot's intentional flight into known adverse weather conditions, his misjudged evaluation of the weather, and his inexperience in actual instrument flying.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING THE PILOT'S PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING HE WAS TOLD THAT ICING CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST NEAR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT BELOW 16,000 FT, AND HIS ROUTE MAY INVOLVE FLYING BETWEEN TWO FRONTS. THE PILOT FILED FOR AND RECEIVED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE TO FLY AT THE MEA OF 11,000 FT. THE PILOT WAS TOLD THAT SEVERAL INBOUND AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS AT 9,000 FT. THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND, 34 MINUTES LATER, REPORTED HE WAS PICKING UP ICE AND HIS PITOT/STATIC SYSTEM WAS ICED OVER. UNABLE TO CLIMB TO THE MEA, THE PILOT RECEIVED AN APPROACH CLEARANCE FOR A NEARBY AIRPORT. WHILE CRUISING BETWEEN 9,200 & 9,700 FT IN AN AREA WHERE THE MEA WAS 11,000 FT, THE PILOT SAID HE WAS STILL TRYING TO CLIMB AND WAS PICKING UP QUITE A LITTLE BIT OF ICING AND GOT AN OPAQUE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS 17.9 MILES OUT FROM THE AIRPORT. IN JULY 1995, THE ACFT WAS LOCATED 14.5 MILES AND 353 DEG FROM THE ARPT. THE LOCATION WAS NOT ON ANY FEDERAL AIRWAY OR ROUTE STRUCTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED AN INSTRUMENT RATING 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.