Piper PA-38-112 N9247T

Summary

On 26 April 2007 at about 18:30 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N9247T was involved in an accident near Dawsonville, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 2007 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Dawsonville, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

34.5939, -84.2269

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N9247T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cornelia → Cincinnati

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL07FA081

1 person died.

The pilot’s improper decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, with a low cloud ceiling, over mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the morning of the accident, the instrument-rated pilot called an automated flight service station (AFSS) for a weather briefing. The briefer informed the pilot that there were thunderstorms and rain showers that extend to his destination. Following the briefing, the pilot ended the conversation with, "let me figure out which way is the best way to go and then maybe ill call back and file." No further calls from the pilot were received by any AFSS. According to a witness, who was a certified flight instructor and lived near the mountainous accident site, he stepped out onto his back deck and watched a white T-tail airplane flying about an "approximate altitude of 2600 to 3000 feet mean sea level (MSL), headed in a north northeast direction, flying level." The witness stated that the airplane was flying about 300 feet above the base of the lowest cloud layer, in and out of the clouds. The airplane was reported missing by family members the following morning and located by the Civil Air Patrol the next day. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies. The pilot had over 3000 hours of total flight time. The pilot did not file an instrument flight rules flight plan and continued his flight into adverse weather, with a low cloud ceiling, while crossing mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.