Piper PA-28-161 N2973T

Summary

On 6 August 2003 at about 19:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N2973T was involved in an accident near Crowheart, Wyoming, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 2003 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Crowheart, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

43.2850, -109.3356

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N2973T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Riverton → Jackson Hole

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN03LA139

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning (attempting to exceed aircraft's published certificated performance), the pilot not obtaining sufficient altitude to clear the terrain (not possible), and the pilot's inadequate in flight planning/decision making. Contributing factors were the high-density weather conditions, the downdraft weather conditions, and the mountainous terrain condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, with his three passengers, was climbing through 9,500 feet to fly over a mountain. He said that he encountered a severe downdraft and was unable to clear the mountain peak. He made a forced landing straight ahead, "for fear of a stall or spin into the trees." The airplane slid approximately 100 feet, separating the fixed landing gear and crushing inward the fuselage bottom. The density altitude at the accident location, an altitude of 8,795 feet, was calculated to be 11,955 feet. The density altitude at 9,500 feet was calculated to be 12,825 feet. The airplane manufacturer's representative said that "published engine performance charts indicate that the airplane had exceeded its certificated limitations." A postaccident engine test run was performed, and no anomalies were identified.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.