Piper PA-28-161 N42997

Summary

On 3 January 2011 at about 00:17 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N42997, operated by Tech Aviation Flight School, was involved in an accident near Benton, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 January 2011 at 00:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Benton, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.2922, -76.4308

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N42997

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Tech Aviation Flight School

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Williamsport → Wilkes-Barre

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA11LA104

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during the night flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated pilot was on the return leg of a three-leg cross country flight at night when he encountered clouds in his path. He considered climbing above the clouds, but he was concerned that he would not be able to descend back down through them. He elected to descend below the clouds, and misjudged the distance between the clouds and the ground. The airplane collided with trees and terrain at an elevation of about 2,200 feet in a remote, wooded area. The airplane sustained substantial damage by impact forces and post-crash fire. The pilot reported he did not see the trees or the terrain prior to the collision. Additionally, he stated that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.