Piper PA-32R-301 N9224X

Summary

On 17 November 2001 at about 00:39 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301 registered N9224X was involved in an accident near Spearville, Kansas, 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

17 November 2001 at 00:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Spearville, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

37.8410, -99.7506

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301

Registration

N9224X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

La Crosse → Dodge City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI02FA034

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and his inadvertent flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot's limited ability to see at night, spatial disorientation, the dark night, and the fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At 1809, the pilot received a weather briefing from Wichita Flight Service for a flight from LaCrosse, Kansas, to Dodge City, Kansas (DDC). The controller told the pilot that VFR flight was not recommended and to expect instrument conditions at DDC. At approximately 1830, a witness observed the airplane fly over his house heading southwest. The witness said the airplane turned south and went into a fog bank. The witness then said the airplane came out of the fog bank heading west and diving. The airplane hit the ground and exploded. The witness said the airplane's lights were on and the engine was running. An examination of the airplane revealed no pre-impact anomalies. At 1856, the National Weather Service at DDC, 12 miles southwest of the accident site, reported winds 150 degrees at 13 knots, ceilings of 600 feet broken, 1,000 feet overcast, 5 miles visibility with mist, temperature 54 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 53 degrees F, and altimeter 30.27 inches of Mercury. The pilot held a third class medical certificate dated December 15, 1999. The certificate contained limitations stating, "Not valid for night flying or by color signal control". The lighting conditions at the time of the accident was dark night.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.