Piper PA-28-180 N5164L

Summary

On 18 July 2002 at about 12:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N5164L, operated by Midwest Executive Aircraft, Inc., was involved in an accident near Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 2002 at 12:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Lee's Summit Municipal (LXT)

Coordinates

38.9589, -94.3778

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N5164L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Midwest Executive Aircraft, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lee Summit → Miami

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02FA193

2 people died.

The inadequate preflight planning/preparation, the flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and lack of instrument certification by the pilot. Contributing factors were fog/clouds and the pilot's nondisclosure of his physical condition to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain and a single family home adjacent to the departure airport after the pilot took off into instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was seen descending out of these conditions in a steep right turn over the airport. The non-instrument rated pilot had a total flight time of 228 hours over the past seven years, of which 7.4 hours were in the past year, 4.1 hours were in the past 90 days, and 0 hours were in the past 30 days. The pilot had been under treatment for multiple chronic painful conditions, and had been prescribed tramadol as a primary treatment for those conditions. The medication was found at a level several times higher than the maximum expected from the dose prescribed to the pilot. Tramadol is a prescription narcotic-like painkiller used for the management of moderate to severe pain. Common side effects of tramadol include dizziness and sleepiness, and at least one study has noted a decrease in complex task performance with the use of the drug. The pilot had also been treated for anxiety and depression. He withheld information regarding treatment for these conditions from the Federal Aviation Administration and was issued a third class medical certificate. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies which would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.