Piper PA-34-200T N2883D

Summary

On 17 May 1995 at about 02:32 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T registered N2883D was involved in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 May 1995 at 02:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.1406, -104.7907

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200T

Registration

N2883D

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Casper → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA95FA101

1 person died.

failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from rising terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: low light conditions at dusk, low ceilings with thunderstorms in the area, and continued flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot contacted Cheyenne approach control at dusk and reported he was 24 miles north of the airport for landing. He was advised '...there is a thunderstorm in the vicinity of the airport north through northeast moving north occasional lightning cloud to ground and a previous aircraft reported severe turbulence.' The pilot acknowledged, then there was no further communication with the aircraft. It was subsequently reported as missing. Personnel responding to an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal reported an extremely low ceiling. The aircraft wreckage was found the next morning about 15 miles north of Cheyenne Airport. Investigation revealed the airplane had impacted gently rising terrain. Wreckage was oriented in a 610' long pattern on a southeasterly heading. Slash marks from both propellers were found, beginning at the initial ground impact point. No preimpact malfunction of the airplane was found. Samples taken from the pilot's remains tested positive for three over-the-counter medications, one of which is not approved for use while flying an airplane; however, the concentrations were so low that they were not quantified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.