19980214001209A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Fort Pierce, FL · February 14, 1998

Date: February 14, 1998 · 08:33 local
Place: Fort Pierce, FL
Phase of flight: Scud Running
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N15091
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA98FA079
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 688 total580 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N15091Registration cancelled Aug 31, 1998 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 287305017 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180

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.

Flying low in near zero IMC struck high voltage wires. Blew up and fell into an orange grove. (.4)the pilot did not obtain a weather briefing from FAA flight service or a duat's vendor. The pilot was observed to go into the weather room at the airport where commercial computer weather services was available. Departure was delayed due to low ceilings and visibility. After departure the aircraft was observed flying low in fog, collide with powerlines, and crash. Postcrash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engine, and propeller showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. (-23)aircraft hit power line 65' high. Left wing disintegrated from airplane and crashed. Remainder of aircraft landed in grapefruit grove. Pilot was thrown out of the aircraft and died from the crash.

As the FAA filed it

FLYING LOW IN NEAR ZERO IMC STRUCK HIGH VOLTAGE WIRES. BLEW UP AND FELL INTO AN ORANGE GROVE. (.4)THE PILOT DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM FAA FLIGHT SERVICE OR A DUAT'S VENDOR. THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED TO GO INTO THE WEATHER ROOM AT THE AIRPORT WHERE COMMERCIAL COMPUTER WEATHER SERVICES WAS AVAILABLE. DEPARTURE WAS DELAYED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW IN FOG, COLLIDE WITH POWERLINES, AND CRASH. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. (-23)AIRCRAFT HIT POWER LINE 65' HIGH. LEFT WING DISINTEGRATED FROM AIRPLANE AND CRASHED. REMAINDER OF AIRCRAFT LANDED IN GRAPEFRUIT GROVE. PILOT WAS THROWN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DIED FROM THE CRASH.

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 MIA98FA079Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportFort Pierce, FLThe pilot's continued visual flight rules into instrument flight rules conditions and his failure to maintain altitude after encountering instrument flight rules conditions resulting in the aircraft colliding with powerlines and crashing. A factor in the…Feb 14, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N15091 · 1

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

Accident 19731014035539AGo Round (Aborted VFR) · RenosaInvestigation under the jurisdiction of the govt of Mexico.Oct 14, 1973 · Substantial damage