Piper PA-24-260 N8857P

Summary

On 15 March 1997 at about 01:41 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N8857P was involved in an accident near Andrews, North Carolina, 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

15 March 1997 at 01:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Andrews, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Andrews-Murphy (6A3)

Coordinates

35.1895, -83.8199

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N8857P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MIA97FA097

2 people died.

The pilot's poor in-flight planning in attempting to maintain VFR conditions at night over mountainous terrain, and his failure to maintain clearance from the mountain. Contributing to the accident was: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning for not obtaining a formal weather briefing, and his self-induced pressure to arrive before a specific time for the start of a planned event.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot did not obtain a formal weather briefing before departure. While en route during an IFR flight, the pilot changed his destination. The flight proceeded to a nearby VOR, then nearly over the airport, and after flying past the airport the pilot advised the controller that he would orbit in that area to look for a break in the clouds. He observed a hole in the clouds, so advised the controller, and canceled his IFR clearance. While descending over mountainous terrain, the airplane first collided with trees on the upslope side of the mountain about 3,200 feet mean sea level. The airplane continued descending in a left wing low attitude and collided with the downslope side of the mountain. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The weather at the destination airport, with an elevation of 1,700 feet, and about 41 minutes before the crash, was a broken ceiling of about 2,000 feet above ground level, as reported by a pilot-witness.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.