Piper PA28 N2171D

Summary

On 10 June 2017 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N2171D was involved in an accident near Carpinteria, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 2017 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Carpinteria, California, United States

Coordinates

34.4472, -119.4492

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N2171D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego → Sant Ynez

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA124

1 person was seriously injured.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's improper decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noninstrument-rated private pilot reported that, while en route, he encountered clouds about 2,200 ft above ground level (agl). He descended the airplane to 2,100 ft agl to try to get out of the clouds, but he still could not see outside. The pilot reported that he decided not to climb nor contact air traffic control; the airplane impacted a tree-covered mountain ridge and came to rest upright with its left wing bent aft. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.