Piper PA-28-235D N999RR

Summary

On 10 December 2011 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-235D registered N999RR, operated by B & H Construction, LLC, was involved in an accident near Chickasha, Oklahoma, 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

10 December 2011 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Chickasha, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

35.0278, -98.0028

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235D

Registration

N999RR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

B & H Construction, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Guymon → Goldsby

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN12FA101

2 people died.

The non-instrument-rated pilot's decision to continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of instrument certification.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated private pilot obtained an outlook weather briefing and was told that instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along his route of flight, with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities less than 3 miles in mist and fog. Weather at the time of departure was 600 feet overcast and 10 miles visibility. Weather at the time of the accident was 900 feet overcast and 7 miles visibility. Residents heard an engine at high power, followed by the ground shaking and the sound of impact. The airplane impacted the ground between two buildings in a near-vertical attitude. The buildings and an overhead power line were not struck. The engine and propeller were buried in the crater. All cables were on their respective pulleys and all cable breaks bore overload signatures. Based on the high speed impact at which the airplane struck the ground and the instrument conditions that existed in the vicinity, it is likely that the pilot became disoriented and lost control of the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.