Piper PA28-181 N3034B

Summary

On 29 October 1998 at about 20:50 local time, a Piper PA28-181 registered N3034B was involved in an accident near Tooele, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 1998 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Tooele, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.5709, -112.3292

Aircraft

Piper PA28-181

Registration

N3034B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Provo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA018

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Contributng factors were fog, low ceilings, high terrain, the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic environment and his misinterpretation of terrain features on the aeronautical chart.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on a cross-country VFR flight, the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions while he was attempting to stay below the clouds, approximately 10 miles short of his destination. He said he misjudged the rapidly forming fog conditions, misread his map regarding terrain elevation, and did not think the terrain elevation was as high as it was in the area where the accident occurred. He then inadvertently flew into the ground in cruise flight at an elevation of 6,200 feet above mean sea level. The pilot also stated that this was his first experience in the mountains and that he should have turned back when the weather conditions began to deteriorate. .

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.