# Accident 19971112032699A: Piper PA28235, Ulysses, KS, November 12, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 12, 1997, 22:30 local time
- Place: Ulysses, KS
- Airport: Montezuma
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.5690° N, 101.3494° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5690&lon=-101.3494&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9404W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9404W-2013-09-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-235 (registry code 7102810, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28235
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA034) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971112032699A

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: ON NOVEMBER 11, 1997, AT 2230 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A PIPER PA-28-235, N9404W, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A COLLISION WITH THE GROUND WHILE IN A DESCENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT STATED VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID HE WAS PILOTING THE AIRPLANE IN FREEZING RAIN UNDER AN OVERCAST CEILING THAT WAS ABOUT 1,500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE PILOT REPORTED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MONTEZUMA, KANSAS, ABOUT 2100 CST. THE PILOT SAID THAT ICE COVERED HIS WINDSHIELD DURING THE FLIGHT. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE'S STATIC PORT WAS COVERED WITH ICE DUE TO THE FREEZING RAIN. THE STATIC PORT IS LOCATED ON THE AFT SIDE OF THE PITOT TUBE. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.

## 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 CHI98LA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA034), Nov 12, 1997: Piper PA-28-235 (N9404W), Ulysses, KS, destroyed. Probable cause: the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, his failure to activate the pitot heat system, and his failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. Factors associated with this…

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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