Piper PA-24-250 N7471P

Summary

On 4 October 2009 at about 14:25 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7471P, operated by Ralph Smith, was involved in an accident near Black Canyon City, Arizona, 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

4 October 2009 at 14:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Black Canyon City, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.1228, -112.2378

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7471P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ralph Smith

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Johns → Aguila

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10FA005

2 people died.

The pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological weather conditions which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were low ceilings, reduced visibility, and mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed under visual flight rules (VFR) for a planned cross-country flight. Recorded radar data revealed that about 50 miles east of the accident site, the flight was at a pressure altitude of 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl) with a flight path on west-southwest heading. The radar data depicted a descent from 6,900 feet to 5,700 feet msl at the last recorded radar target. The last radar target was located about 0.32 miles southeast of the accident site, at 5,700 feet msl. Review of recorded radio communications between the pilot and the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) revealed that at about 25 minutes prior to the accident, the pilot informed the controller that he was “going to be drifting down just a little bit lower to stay under the clouds." The wreckage was located within mountainous terrain at an elevation of 5,488 feet msl. Wreckage and impact signatures at the accident site were consistent with a level attitude at the time of collision with terrain. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Review of recorded weather data from weather reporting stations surrounding the accident site revealed multiple layers of low clouds over the accident site during the time frame of the accident. Visible and infrared satellite imagery surrounding the time period of the accident depicted a broken to overcast layer of stratocumulus to nimbostratus clouds over the accident site. A weather reporting station located approximately 3 miles west of the accident site at an elevation of 5,250 feet reported wind from 216 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 35 knots during the time period of the accident. Coupled with saturated conditions and 100 percent relative humidity and no temperature dew point spread, this is consistent with the station being in the clouds with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) existing. A review of the radar and satellite imagery confirms low overcast conditions over the station and accident site. A second weather reporting station located approximately 8 miles northeast of the accident site at an elevation of 2,960 feet msl, also reported high relative humidity at 80 percent, which supported low level clouds and potential mountain obscuration in the area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.