Piper PA28 N6433J

Summary

On 18 December 2017 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N6433J was involved in an accident near Reeds Spring, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 December 2017 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Reeds Spring, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

36.7247, -93.3961

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N6433J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gardner → Branson

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN18FA054

2 people died.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and in-flight decision-making, which resulted in flight into known instrument meteorological conditions and the subsequent collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noninstrument-rated private pilot and the passenger, who held a student pilot certificate, departed on a night cross-country flight.  The pilot was not in communication with air traffic control during the accident flight; however, a review of radar information revealed a flight track that correlated with the accident flight. The airplane approached it's destination from the north/northwest, making several turns, including circles, along its route of flight, before the target disappeared from radar near the accident location.  Witnesses near the accident site stated that the visibility was poor and that it was foggy at the time of the accident. A review of weather conditions revealed instrument meteorological conditions at the accident site, and at the destination airport. A further review of weather conditions for the time the flight originated from its departure airport, and an hour before departure time, revealed similar instrument weather conditions near the accident site and destination airport. There was no record that the pilot received a preflight weather briefing for the planned flight. Although examination of the airplane was limited by impact damage, no pre-impact abnormalities were noted with the airframe or engine.  The accident is consistent with the noninstrument-rated pilot's flight into known instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent collision with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.