Piper PA-28-180 N7763W

Summary

On 26 November 2023 at about 00:36 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N7763W was involved in an accident near Mertzon, Texas, 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

26 November 2023 at 00:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Mertzon, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.3798, -101.0015

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N7763W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Cruces → Bulverde

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR24FA040

3 people died.

The non-instrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight into night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s overconfidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight while marginal VFR and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present along the route. Following a planned en route fuel stop, the pilot deviated from the planned flight route and altitude. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that for the next six hours the pilot maneuvered around adverse weather conditions at low altitudes and made two stops at airports not listed on the flight plan. Before the first stop, one of the passengers sent a text message telling the pilot’s parents that they had to turn back because the weather was not good. The text message included a photograph depicting the airplane operating in an area with a low cloud layer and visible moisture. The pilot delayed his departure from the second unplanned airport stop for about two and a half hours for unknown reasons. After departing at night, the pilot continued to maneuver at a low altitude, and not directly toward his original destination. It is likely that the combination of low cloud ceilings, dark conditions, and the pilot’s limited experience with instrument flight, resulted in the pilot not maintaining sufficient altitude to clear the hilly terrain while trying to maintain VFR flight. The ADS-B data, impact trajectory, and the wreckage distribution were consistent with spatial disorientation. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The continuation of the cross-country flight at night with forecast IMC is consistent with the pilot’s overconfidence in his flying abilities.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.