Piper PA-28-235 N8870W

Summary

On 2 January 1996 at about 01:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N8870W was involved in an accident near Lehi, Utah, 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

2 January 1996 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Lehi, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.4098, -111.8706

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N8870W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St George → West Jordon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA96FA036

1 person died.

continued VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude and/or clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, low ceiling, and snow.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated commercial pilot received a weather briefing for a VFR cross-country flight. The briefer described deteriorating VFR conditions along the pilot's route of flight, and the pilot elected not to file an IFR flight plan. The pilot departed on the flight and encountered dark night conditions in mountainous terrain near his destination. Lowering cloud ceilings and blowing snow were reported in the vicinity of the accident site about the time of the accident. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain near the top of a ridge about 20 miles from the intended destination. Radar data showed that the airplane had entered a climbing turn and was climbing through about 5000 feet msl when the last radar return was recorded. Elevation of the crash site was about 5000 feet. No distress calls or communications to ATC were made by the pilot, and no preimpact mechanical malfunction was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.