Piper PA-28-181 N47413

Summary

On 10 December 2003 at about 01:05 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N47413, operated by MVP Aero Academy, was involved in an accident near Sugar Land, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 December 2003 at 01:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Sugar Land, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR)

Coordinates

29.6197, -95.6564

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N47413

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

MVP Aero Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Sugar Land

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW04FA037

2 people died.

The pilots failure to maintain clearance with powerlines during a VFR approach. Contributing factors were the prevailing dark night conditions,and the high winds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 350-hour non-instrument rated private pilot was told by the air traffic control tower operator to report midfield downwind under dark night visual meteorological conditions. The controller contacted the pilot of the accident airplane when it was abeam the approach end of runway 35, asking him if he could see the runway. The pilot confirmed he saw the runway, and was cleared to land. Subsequently, the airplane struck power lines running perpendicular to the approach end of the runway. Tower personnel reported observing a "flash similar to the explosion of a transformer." Runway 35 featured a displaced threshold of 1964 feet, and was equipped with runway lighting. At the time of the accident, the wind at the airport was reported from 320 degrees, at 16 knots gusting to 25 knots. No distress calls were received from the pilot prior to the accident. No anomalies were noted in the airframe or engine during the course of the investigation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.