Piper PA-28-151 N161FS

Summary

On 11 November 1995 at about 04:08 local time, a Piper PA-28-151 registered N161FS was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 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

11 November 1995 at 04:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.8390, -88.6397

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-151

Registration

N161FS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Forks → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI96FA029

2 people died.

the pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude. Factors included the weather obscuration due to snow and fog, the dark night, and the pilot's lack of recent night flight time.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot obtained weather briefings at 1118 CST and at 1718 CST. He was advised in both briefings that VFR flight was not recommended. At 1839 CST he activated his VFR flight plan and made no other radio contacts. The pilot had flown a total of 2.8 hours of night time in the last nine months. A local witness reported that there was a 'slight covering of snow but not real windy,' at 2130 CST, but at 2230 CST, the '...wind was howling. Visibility was very low. Could hardly see the yard light 150 feet away. Winds were strong, 25 to 30 miles per hour. Snowing pretty good. Light pole was blurred. 35 feet tall....' The airplane had flown into a marsh about 300 degrees and 3.8 nautical miles from Fond du Lac Airport.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.