Walter R Penney VARI-EZE N12WP

Summary

On 8 January 1992 at about 23:59 local time, a Walter R Penney VARI-EZE registered N12WP, operated by Dennis W. Owens, was involved in an accident near Lamar, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 January 1992 at 23:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Lamar, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.9109, -89.3110

Aircraft

Walter R Penney VARI-EZE

Registration

N12WP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dennis W. Owens

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hopkinsville → Monroe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA92LA057

1 person died.

THE PILOT IN COMMANDS DEPARTURE INTO AND CONTINUED FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHILE OPERATING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND THEN THE GROUND.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PLT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM FAA FSS JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. IN BOTH BRIEFINGS VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE ACFT WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED. PLT DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. FLT DEPARTED AND WITNESSES OBSERVED IT ENTER CLOUDS AND DISAPPEAR. ONE AND A QUARTER HOURS LATER GROUND WITNESSES HEARD ACFT FLYING LOW BUT COULD NOT SEE IT DUE TO LOW CLOUDS AND DARKNESS. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ACFT WAS HEARD STRIKING TREES. POST CRSH EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE MEDICAL INCAPACITATION AND ALL TOXICOLOGY TESTS WERE NEGATIVE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.