Piper PA-28-180 N7357W

Summary

On 3 October 2003 at about 21:24 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N7357W was involved in an accident near Teasdale, Utah, 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

3 October 2003 at 21:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Teasdale, Utah, United States

Coordinates

38.1167, -111.4294

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N7357W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Holbrook → Provo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04FA002

2 people died.

The student pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision and his failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the student pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions, the low ceiling, the rain, the student pilot's lack of experience with flying in instrument meteorological conditions, and the inadvertent stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot contacted the flight service station (FSS) and requested a weather briefing. He then filed a visual flight rules flight plan with a proposed takeoff time of 1200, and a flight time en route of 3 hours and 15 minutes. FSS reported the student pilot never activated the flight plan. Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) radar picked up the airplane as a primary target over Lake Powell, on the Arizona - Utah border. The airplane was tracked on a straight line, flight path toward Provo. Approaching the Boulder Mountains, the airplane turned west toward high terrain. The radar data showed the airplane make three consecutive 360-degree left turns within a 1/2-mile area before radar contact was lost. Concerned family members began looking for the student pilot and passenger when the airplane did not arrive. The airplane was located by a search and rescue unit the following day. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident, the weather reporting station at Bryce Canyon, Utah (BCE), 41 miles southwest of the accident site, reported scattered clouds at 3,600 feet; ceiling 4,600 feet overcast; 10 miles visibility; light rain; temperature 46 degrees Fahrenheit (F); dew point 39 degrees F; and altimeter 30.13. A witness described the weather in the area as overcast skies and cool temperatures throughout the day. He reported there were low clouds and what looked like precipitation over the accident site. Pilot records showed the student pilot was approved for solo cross-country flight. The records also showed the student pilot having 44.6 total flying hours. There was no record of instrument training. The student pilot's instructor said he had received instruction for flight with reference to instruments. FAA toxicology revealed the presence of Dextromethorphan, Doxylamine, Phenylpropanolamine, and Pseudophedrine in urine and liver. Dextrophan and Ephedrine were also detected in urine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.