Piper PA-28-181 N281PF

Summary

On 13 August 1999 at about 14:46 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N281PF, operated by National Flyers Association, was involved in an accident near Paw Paw, Michigan, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 August 1999 at 14:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Paw Paw, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.2094, -85.8900

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N281PF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

National Flyers Association

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fond du Lac → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99FA290

4 people died.

the pilot flew into known adverse weather, the pilot's lack of total instrument flight experience, and the pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane. Factors included the pilot's total lack of experience in the type of operation and the pilot's overconfidence in his personal abilities.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument rated pilot contacted the Green Bay AFSS at 0117 EST on August 13 and again at 0614 for a weather brief. Both weather briefers reported there was an Airmet for IFR conditions and the VFR flight was not recommended. At 0835 the pilot filed a VFR flight plan. The weather briefer reported that VFR flight was not recommended. Witnesses reported hearing an airplane in the clouds with its engine 'screaming,' and the 'throttle full open.' They reported the wing was separated from the airplane when the airplane came out of the clouds. The right wing, stabilator, and rudder were located within 0.5 miles of the main wreckage site. The inspection of the airplane revealed no pre-existent anomalies to the engine or airframe and all spar fracture surfaces were observed to be granular. The pilot had a total of about 248 flight hours; 81 hours in make and model. The pilot had flown 2.5 hours in the last six months. The pilot had logged no actual instrument flight time, and had a total of one hour of simulated instrument flight. The cloud bases were approximately 1,300 feet agl. A PIPEP reported that cloud tops near Kalamazoo (AZO), located 16 nm to the east, were at 7,000 feet msl about 12 minutes prior to the accident. NTAP data indicated the airplane's altitude was approximately 4,800 feet msl before it was lost to radar.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.