Piper PA-28-180 N55995
21 May 2003 · Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 21 May 2003 at about 15:13 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N55995, operated by Kenneth G. McLeod, was involved in an accident near Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:13
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.6961, -79.7631
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180
- Registration
- N55995
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Kenneth G. McLeod
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Clarksburg → Buttonville
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC03FA113
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance which resulted in the airplane striking a guy wire on the communications antenna. A factor was the fog.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on a VFR cross country flight after he received a weather briefing which included ceilings between 1,300 feet, and 1,500 feet, and mountain obscurement. The airplane struck the top guy wire, mid-span between the top of the tower and its ground anchor. As the airplane fell to the ground, it struck a 12,000 volt power line. A post crash fire resulted. The accident site was located 18 nm east of a straight line course between his last departure point, and his first navigational fix. The airplane was equipped the VOR receivers, and the pilot had a GPS with him. The method of navigation used was not determined. Power company personnel who responded to the power outage, reported that the top of the mountain was obscured by fog. The pilot possessed a valid Canadian pilot certificate, but not a current Canadian medical certificate. He did not possess an FAA airman medical certificate or pilot certificate.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-28-180 | Nampa, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 2003 | Piper PA-28-180 | Montgomery, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-28-140 | Winchester, Tennessee, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2003 | Piper PA-28-181 | Bullhead City, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2003 | Piper PA-28-140 | Hamilton, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 2003 | Piper PA-28-180 | Poughkeepsie, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2003 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Sutton, West Virginia, United States | Worden L. McCalum | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2003 | Williams RV-4 | Metz, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 2003 | Young CHALLENGER II | Huntington, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 May 2003 | Piper PA32-260 | Huntington, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2003 | Champion 7EC | Point Pleasant, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Feb 2003 | Cessna 182P | So. Charleston, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |