19951123045339A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-201T · Belvidere, SD · November 23, 1995

Date: November 23, 1995 · 08:00 local
Place: Belvidere, SD
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3966M
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96FA038
Reported as: Piper PA28R201T
Reported engine: Continental TSIO360F
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 4
Pilot’s flight hours: 251 total35 in the last 90 days

N3966MRegistration cancelled Mar 19, 1997 · Piper PA-28R-201TS/N 28R7803205 Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-201T

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.

Broke up inflight. Airmets for icing snow freezing rain in area. Spiral dive and overstress pullup. Aft CG limits. (-23) on November 23, 1995, at approximately 0745 MST, a PA28R, N3966M, registered to the pilot, paul g. ranschau, came apart in flight near Belvidere, SD. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and all four people on borad were fatally injured. The flight originated from sioux falls, SD on November 23, 1995, at 0745 CST.

As the FAA filed it

BROKE UP INFLIGHT. AIRMETS FOR ICING SNOW FREEZING RAIN IN AREA. SPIRAL DIVE AND OVERSTRESS PULLUP. AFT CG LIMITS. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 23, 1995, AT APPROXIMATELY 0745 MST, A PA28R, N3966M, REGISTERED TO THE PILOT, PAUL G. RANSCHAU, CAME APART IN FLIGHT NEAR BELVIDERE, SD. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND ALL FOUR PEOPLE ON BORAD WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SIOUX FALLS, SD ON NOVEMBER 23, 1995, AT 0745 CST.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CHI96FA038Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportBelvidere, SDthe pilot's attempted visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, his failure to maintain control of the airplane, and exceeding the design stress limits of the airplane. Factors in the accident were: the snow and fog, and the aft airplane center…Nov 23, 1995 · Destroyed