Piper PA-28RT-201T N84719

Summary

On 13 March 2002 at about 00:55 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered N84719, operated by Timothy R. Morris, was involved in an accident near Marianna, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 March 2002 at 00:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Marianna, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.7039, -90.5989

Aircraft

Piper PA-28RT-201T

Registration

N84719

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Timothy R. Morris

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Little Rock → Tunica

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW02FA095

2 people died.

The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions and his failure to maintain clearance with terrain while maneuvering. Factors were, the low cloud and mist weather conditions, and the dark night light conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Approximately 43 minutes after departure on a cross-country flight, the airplane was substantially damaged while maneuvering when it failed to maintain clearance with terrain in a heavily wooded area about 1 1/2 miles west of the Mississippi River. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The pilot contacted the Jonesboro Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and requested an en route weather briefing, initially commenting, "Gonna head over to Tunica, VFR. I'll be skuddin it, it looks like." The specialist advised the pilot that there weren't any Airmets across the route of flight, there was nothing on radar, high pressure was building from the west, and that to the east, the area was still under the influence of a low pressure system. The specialist also reported that Memphis, located 42 nautical miles northeast and the closest weather reporting point to the accident site, was reporting broken clouds at 1,100 feet, but had just dropped down to a ceiling of 900 feet broken, 1,400 feet overcast, 2 1/2 miles visibility, and ceiling variable between about 700 feet and 1,100 feet. A Senior NTSB meteorologist reported that the lower atmosphere in the Memphis area was nearly saturated, and that the Memphis cloud ceiling gradually lowered after the pilot obtained his en route weather briefing. The 1853 Memphis observation reported a variable ceiling between 400 and 1,100 feet, light drizzle, and mist. The meteorologist also reported that it was likely that encountered instrument meteorological conditions just prior to the accident, which were similar to the conditions being reported in the Memphis area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.