19971010030629A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Leadore, ID · October 10, 1997

Date: October 10, 1997 · 19:30 local
Place: Leadore, ID
Phase of flight: Scud Running
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N2938B
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA98FA001
Reported as: Piper PA28181
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4M
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 200 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N2938BRegistration cancelled Mar 8, 2000 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7990569 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181

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.

Acft crashed under unknown circumstances. The 2 POB suffered fatal injuries. Acft was destroyed. Leadore, ID. (.4) an aircraft was seen flying to the east under a 300-500 foot overcast about 25 miles west of the accident site. At that time, the ambient light conditions had just turned from dusk to dark, and witnesses sensed that the pilot was following the road that ran near the center of the valley through which the aircraft was flying. The aircraft was next seen about 20 miles east of the first sighting, flying low over the road, and entering the west side of gilmore summit. When the pilot did not arrive at his destination, a search was begun. The aircraft was located in the hills near the summit. Local officials reported that during the evening, the weather had been getting worse, the clouds had been lowering, and snow started falling in the summit, soon after the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. ACFT WAS DESTROYED. LEADORE, ID. (.4) AN AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN FLYING TO THE EAST UNDER A 300-500 FOOT OVERCAST ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. AT THAT TIME, THE AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS HAD JUST TURNED FROM DUSK TO DARK, AND WITNESSES SENSED THAT THE PILOT WAS FOLLOWING THE ROAD THAT RAN NEAR THE CENTER OF THE VALLEY THROUGH WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEXT SEEN ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF THE FIRST SIGHTING, FLYING LOW OVER THE ROAD, AND ENTERING THE WEST SIDE OF GILMORE SUMMIT. WHEN THE PILOT DID NOT ARRIVE AT HIS DESTINATION, A SEARCH WAS BEGUN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN THE HILLS NEAR THE SUMMIT. LOCAL OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT DURING THE EVENING, THE WEATHER HAD BEEN GETTING WORSE, THE CLOUDS HAD BEEN LOWERING, AND SNOW STARTED FALLING IN THE SUMMIT, SOON AFTER THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 SEA98FA001Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportLeadore, IDthe pilot's inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from wooded terrain in the area where he was maneuvering. Factors relating to the accident include: darkness, low ceiling, and high/mountainous…Oct 11, 1997 · Destroyed