# Accident 19980214001209A: Piper PA28180, Fort Pierce, FL, February 14, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 14, 1998, 08:33 local time
- Place: Fort Pierce, FL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.2995° N, 80.4904° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.2995&lon=-80.4904&mi=10
- Aircraft: N15091, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15091-1998-08-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 688 total, 580 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98FA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA079) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980214001209A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 MIA98FA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98FA079), Feb 14, 1998: Piper PA-28-180 (N15091), Fort Pierce, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N15091 (1)

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

- [Accident 19731014035539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19731014035539A), Oct 14, 1973: Piper PA28180 (N15091), Renosa, Substantial damage. Investigation under the jurisdiction of the govt of Mexico.

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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