Piper PA-28-140 N1696H

Summary

On 10 August 2007 at about 10:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N1696H was involved in an accident near West Bend, Wisconsin, 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

10 August 2007 at 10:10

Classification

Accident

Location

West Bend, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

West Bend Municipal (KETB)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N1696H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Bend → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CHI07LA260

1 person died.

The pilot's decision to depart in adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. Contributing to the accident included the pilot's lack of an instrument rating, his lack of recent night experience, the night conditions and fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) about 1/4 mile north of the departure airport. No one witnessed the airplane's departure and there were no witnesses to the accident. The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) reported that the first time the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was "picked up" by an overhead satellite was at 0510. The inspection of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the cornfield in a nose low, right wing down attitude. The inspection of the airplane and engine revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The non-instrument rated private pilot had logged 0.8 hours of night flight 11 months prior to the accident flight. He had not logged any night flights since. At 0505, the surface weather observation at the departure airport was: Winds 300 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 2 statute miles, overcast 200 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.