Piper PA-24 N8452P

Summary

On 6 December 1997 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-24 registered N8452P was involved in an accident near Cairo, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 1997 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Cairo, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

39.5103, -92.4396

Aircraft

Piper PA-24

Registration

N8452P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Great Bend → Topeka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA055

1 person had minor injuries.

a fractured muffler, failure of the owner/pilot to ensured that the annual maintenance inspection had been completed before flight, and subsequent pilot incapacitation due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had climbed to 5,500 ft MSL & had trimmed the airplane at cruise power settings. He set the GPS navigation system for a direct flight, then engaged the autopilot & switched the fuel selector to the left auxiliary fuel tank. He remembered passing Herrington, KS, at which time, he set his radios for arrival at Topeka, Ks. From that point, he could not remember anything else about the flight until he 'awoke' in a flat hay field near Cairo, MO. (The airplane had touched down in a wings level attitude and slid about 525 ft before hitting a fence & small trees.) When the pilot 'initially awoke,' he was confused & thought he was still airborne. Eventually, he walked to a farm house & after waiting another 1 to 1-1/2 hr, an ambulance arrived to take him to a hospital. Subsequently, blood was drawn. Toxicology tests of his blood showed 26.8% saturation with carbon monoxide. Inspection of the airplane revealed the right muffler had a crack around one of its seams, which allowed exhaust fumes into the cabin heater housing & into the cabin. The airplane had recently been taken to an airplane service center for an annual inspection. The pilot decided to fly the airplane before the annual inspection had been signed off.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.