Piper PA-28-181 N75137

Summary

On 3 June 1998 at about 14:42 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N75137 was involved in an accident near Dalton, Massachusetts, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 1998 at 14:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Dalton, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N75137

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norwood → Niagara Falls

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC98FA124

3 people died.

The pilot's decision to continue the flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in a loss of control, and airplane stress limits to be exceeded. Factors in the accident, the pilot's decision to disregard the preflight weather briefing, and his lack of instrument flight certification.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departure, the non instrument rated, pilot rated passenger received two weather briefings. During the first briefings she was advised that VFR flight was not recommended. The second briefing she did not complete, expressing concern about the weather. She then briefed her father, who was also a non instrument rated pilot about the weather, adding she did not feel comfortable with the conditions. The father then called Bridgeport AFSS, and requested the cloud tops. The airplane departed, and the pilot requested radar traffic advisories from approach control. The last 37 seconds of radar beacon data revealed that the airplane turned left approximately 180 degrees and descended from 6,500 feet msl to 5,600 feet msl. The airplane then entered an uncontrolled descent and the right wing separated. The pilot had a total of 350.0 hours of flight experience, and the pilot rated passenger had a total of 90.2 hours of flight experience. At the time of the accident, another pilot in the area reported IMC conditions from 6,000 feet msl to 8,000 feet msl and moderate turbulence. Examination of the wreckage revealed no structural failures from fatigue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.