Piper PA28 N8607W

Summary

On 2 December 2014 at about 01:30 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N8607W was involved in an accident near Sommerville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 December 2014 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sommerville, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Fayette County Airport (FYE)

Coordinates

35.1200, -89.2400

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N8607W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sommerville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA15FA066

1 person died.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's improper decision to attempt visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impaired decision-making due to the effects of ethanol and chlordiazepoxide.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to a family member, the noninstrument-rated private pilot was planning to refuel the airplane on the evening of the accident. After purchasing fuel, he subsequently departed in night instrument meteorological conditions, which included low clouds and mist. A witness heard the airplane flying overhead and then sounds associated with increased engine power, followed by a loud crash. The airplane impacted a heavily wooded area about 0.75 mile from the departure airport and was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions can lead to spatial disorientation, particularly for a noninstrument-rated pilot. In addition, the wreckage distribution and the witness observation of increasing engine noise and the wreckage are consistent with the pilot losing control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. The pilot's toxicology results identified ethanol at 0.109% in muscle tissue and 0.039% in brain tissue. Although some of the ethanol may have been produced postmortem, it is likely that some was ingested before the accident. In addition, chlordiazepoxide (a prescription medication for the treatment of anxiety) and its metabolite, nordiazepam, were detected in the liver. It is likely the combined effects of chlordiazepoxide and ethanol significantly impaired the pilot's executive functioning, judgment, and decision-making, leading to his decision to fly in weather that he was unprepared to manage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.