19940415007869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Opelika, AL · April 15, 1994

Date
April 15, 1994 · 10:00 local
Place
Opelika, AL
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N39770
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL94FA082
Reported as
Piper PA28181
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A4M
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
244 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Heard engine whining. 172 exited cloud base. Pulled up and lost a wing. VFR pilot and spatial disortentaion.

As the FAA filed it

HEARD ENGINE WHINING. 172 EXITED CLOUD BASE. PULLED UP AND LOST A WING. VFR PILOT AND SPATIAL DISORTENTAION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.