# Accident 19971102031719A: Piper PA24250, Robinson, IL, November 2, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 2, 1997, 17:30 local time
- Place: Robinson, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0007° N, 87.7399° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0007&lon=-87.7399&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7890P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7890P-2012-09-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1D5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 267 total, 33 in this make and model, 64 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA029) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971102031719A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, ROBINSON, IL. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.  HE SAID THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE FLY SOUTH TO NORTH AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED.  A MINUTE LATER, THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE HEADING WESTBOUND.  HE WATCHED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND SOME TREES.  THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE WEATHER WAS VERY RAINY AND WINDY, WITH VERY BAD VISIBILITY.  THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE AIRPLANE ACCIDENT.  THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED, AND HAD LOGGED NO FLIGHT TIME IN ACTUAL INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THE WEATHER OBSERVATION REPORTED BY THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA (38 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE), ON 11/2/97, AT 1745 EST (1645 CST), WAS FEW CLOUDS AT 2,400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), A BROKEN CEILING AT 3,300 FEET AGL, AN OVERCAST CEILING AT 5,000 FEET AGL, AND RAIN SHOWERS.                        (-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ROANOKE, VIRGINIA AND PROCEEDED INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC).  THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT CONTACTED A                                                               TREE WITH THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CRASH. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED TWO DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA029), Nov 2, 1997: Piper PA-24-250 (N7890P), Robinson, IL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's improper decision to continue flight into adverse weather conditions The low ceiling and the heavy rain were factors.

## Other reports on N7890P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19911113062099I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911113062099I), Nov 13, 1991: Piper PA24250 (N7890P), Bowling Green, MO, Minor damage. Pilot forgot to lower landing gear. Landed gear up.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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