Piper PA-30/A N9WG

Summary

On 24 December 1997 at about 05:00 local time, a Piper PA-30/A registered N9WG was involved in an accident near Hastings, Nebraska, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 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

24 December 1997 at 05:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hastings, Nebraska, United States

Nearest airport

Hastings Municipal (HSI)

Coordinates

40.5809, -98.3899

Aircraft

Piper PA-30/A

Registration

N9WG

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cheyenne → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI98LA072

1 person died.

The pilot's improper IFR procedure, by which he failed to maintain minimum descent altitude. Fog, a low ceiling, and night condition were a contributing factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight had originally departed from Nampa, Idaho, at 0830 mountain standard time (mst) with Mountain Home, Idaho, as a stopover airport, and Hastings, Nebraska, as the intended final destination airport. The pilot departed Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 1940 mst. At 2224 central standard time (cst), the pilot was briefed that the weather at Hastings indicated winds at 080 degrees at 4 knots, one quarter mile visibility, freezing fog, a few clouds at 100 feet, 4,200 foot overcast, temperature minus 2 degrees C, dew point minus 2 degrees C, and altimeter 29.87. At 2227, the pilot reported, 'Whiskey golf, we're gonna shoot an approach into Hastings, ah, if it's no good we'll, ah, do a missed and go somewhere else.' At 2250, the pilot reported, 'ah, Missed approach. I (want to) try it again.' The pilot received clearance to fly a second approach. At 2300 cst, the aircraft impacted an irrigation tower and wheel assembly that was located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. Both propellers indicated blade twist and chordwise scratching. The right seat passenger reported that the pilot had not indicated there was anything wrong with the airplane during the flight, she remembered that the pilot flew the second approach down to 2,300 feet or 2,350 feet on the altimeter and started to pull up on the airplane's yoke. The field elevation was 1,961 feet. The MDA was 2,360 feet. The altimeter was set at 29.84. During the flight, there had been no indications of altimeter error when the pilot was in contact with ATC.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.