Piper PA-28R-200 N15704

Summary

On 31 October 2002 at about 14:50 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N15704 was involved in an accident near Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and 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

31 October 2002 at 14:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Virginia Highlands (VJI)

Coordinates

36.5661, -81.7661

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N15704

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laurel Bloomery → Abingdon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03LA011

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain, which resulted in an inflight collision with mountainous terrain. Factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and failure to obtain weather information, which resulted in an inflight encounter with adverse weather.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was in visual cruise flight over mountainous terrain at 6,500 feet when he noticed clouds building at 5,000 feet and decided to return to the airport. The pilot descended through a half- to one-mile gap in the clouds, and, at 4,500 feet, clear ice began to form rapidly on the airplane. The pilot descended to 2,500 feet in a mountain valley and the airframe ice began melting. The pilot then initiated a climb to clear a ridgeline, but the airplane collided with trees and caught fire. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Recorded weather data revealed low ceilings in the vicinity throughout the morning. The pilot stated he did not obtain a weather briefing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.