Piper PA-32-260 N3733W

Summary

On 18 December 2003 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3733W, operated by Dan Lawson, was involved in an accident near Brooklyn, Iowa, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 December 2003 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Brooklyn, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.7067, -92.4617

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3733W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dan Lawson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wheeling → Ankeny

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI04FA044

4 people died.

The pilot's inadequate planning/decision resulting in VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance resulting in in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of an instrument rating, his lack of recent night flying experience, the dark night, and the low ceilings.

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 a cornfield during cruise flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under visual flight rules (VFR), and no flight plan was filed. There was no record of the pilot contacting air traffic control facilities or Flight Service Stations while en route. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot was a private pilot but he was not instrument qualified. The pilot's logbook indicated that he flew 0.5 hours of night time 30 days prior to the accident, and that he recorded 3 landings to a full stop. The pilot's previous night flight, which was 0.6 hours in length, was logged nine months prior to the accident. The observed weather about 26 nautical miles west of the accident site, was: Winds 260 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 2 statute miles, light snow, ceiling 700 feet overcast, temperature 1 degree C, dew point 0 degree C, altimeter 29.89 inches of mercury. The postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.