Piper PA-28-160 N6321W

Summary

On 22 November 2001 at about 16:05 local time, a Piper PA-28-160 registered N6321W was involved in an accident near Ben Wheeler, Texas, 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

22 November 2001 at 16:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Ben Wheeler, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Tyler Pounds Regional (TYR)

Coordinates

32.4014, -95.5425

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-160

Registration

N6321W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Prairie → Tyler

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02FA040

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed the home base airport at an unknown time for a day VFR flight in the single-engine airplane to his destination airport. About 37 nautical miles from the destination airport, the pilot requested and received an in-flight weather briefing. About 10 miles west of the destination airport, the pilot contacted ATC, the airplane was radar identified, the pilot was assigned a transponder squawk and given the altimeter setting. The pilot acknowledged the controller's transmissions. Radar contact was lost, and no additional radio communications with the pilot were recorded. The pilot's third class medical certificate application (December 19, 1991) indicated 1,500 hours flight time, and the third class medical certificate was issued with the limitation: "must have available glasses for near vision." FAA records did not reveal any evidence that the 76-year old pilot held a current medical certificate. No evidence was found that the pilot had not obtained sufficient rest before the flight. There was no evidence found to either suggest a medical cause for incapacitation or to rule out incapacitation for medical reasons. All of the aircraft was accounted for in the wreckage debris. No evidence of an in-flight fire and/or explosion, or in-flight mechanical and/or flight control malfunction was found that would have rendered the airplane uncontrollable prior to the impact. Numerous attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), pilot logbooks, and maintenance records were unsuccessful.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.