Piper PA-28-180 N8969J

Summary

On 14 April 2007 at about 13:43 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N8969J was involved in an accident near Viburnum, Missouri, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 April 2007 at 13:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Viburnum, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

37.7106, -91.1190

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N8969J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jefferson City → Muscle Shoals

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI07FA102

3 people died.

The pilot's loss of aircraft control during cruise flight in instrument meteorological conditions. Factors contributing to the accident were turbulence and icing conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan prior to the accident. Radar track data indicated that the flight was on course toward the intended destination when radar contact and voice communications were lost. Communications had been routine to that point, and the pilot had not informed air traffic control of any difficulties regarding the flight. Witnesses reported hearing an airplane engine, and saw what appeared to be one or two objects exit the clouds near their location. They notified authorities, and a search located the accident site that evening. The site was about one-quarter mile from the final radar data point. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies associated with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Weather data indicated that the flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions at the time. The data was also consistent with in-flight icing and turbulence in the vicinity of the accident. IFR conditions prevailed near the accident site, with cloud tops reaching 10,000 feet msl or higher. The freezing level in the vicinity was about 5,000 feet msl, and a 70-percent probability of icing was predicted at that altitude. The pilot's logbook indicated that he had about 75 hours instrument flight time, including 5.7 hours in actual instrument conditions. He had completed an instrument proficiency check (IPC) about one month prior to the accident flight. During the 6-month period prior to the accident flight, he had logged 1.5 hours simulated instrument flight time, 3 instrument approaches and one holding procedure as part of the IPC. He had also logged 0.4 hours actual instrument time during that 6-month timeframe separate from the IPC. Because of the lack of any physical evidence suggesting a failure or malfunction of the airframe or engine, it is likely the pilot lost control of the airplane while flying in difficult instrument meteorological conditions that included icing and turbulence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.