What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 3/17/00 a Piper PA-28-140 departed the front range airport in denver co. enroute to the benton airport in benton, KS. The pilot requested and received an IFR clearance from the denver center to wichita's mid continent airport. The aircraft was then handed off to Kansas city center at approximately 8:16 pm local. The aircraft crashed approximately 7 miles NE of Dighton, KS. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. (.4)on March 17, 2000, at 2015 central standard time (CST), a Piper PA-28-140, N4494X, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted the terrain 8 miles northeast of Dighton, Kansas. A post-crash fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan, in flight, with denver air route traffic control center (ARTCC), prior to the accident. The pilot and two passengers on board the airplane were fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated at denver, Colorado, at 1700 mountain standard time (MST), and was en route to wichita, Kansas. At 1452:02 MST, the pilot contacted the denver flight service station (afss) and filed a VFR flight plan from front range airport (ftg), denver, Colorado, direct to benton airport (1K1), benton, Kansas. The pilot proposed to take off at 1700 MST. He filed an en route altitude of 7,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), and estimated his time en route would be 3 hours and 45 minutes. The flight service specialist asked the pilot if he had the airmets for turbulence. The pilot replied, "yes, I have all the airmets ... And the weather; and I'm hoping to go in VFR. If I have to, I will switch IFR in route." The flight service specialist said, "ok, I was just going to say VFR flight nots [is not] recommended because there is some IFR conditions in that area." The flight service specialist also asked the pilot if he had the AIRMET for icing? The pilot said, "yes." The pilot's wife said that he contacted her from denver, Colorado, an hour before taking off. She said that the pilot never said anything about the weather. He told her that he would be back home (wichita) in 4 hours. The pilot's wife said that he should have arrived home at approximately 2130 CST.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 3/17/00 A PIPER PA-28-140 DEPARTED THE FRONT RANGE AIRPORT IN DENVER CO. ENROUTE TO THE BENTON AIRPORT IN BENTON, KS. THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLEARANCE FROM THE DENVER CENTER TO WICHITA'S MID CONTINENT AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO KANSAS CITY CENTER AT APPROXIMATELY 8:16 PM LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES NE OF DIGHTON, KS. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. (.4)ON MARCH 17, 2000, AT 2015 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A PIPER PA-28-140, N4494X, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF DIGHTON, KANSAS. A POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN, IN FLIGHT, WITH DENVER AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC), PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT DENVER, COLORADO, AT 1700 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), AND WAS EN ROUTE TO WICHITA, KANSAS. AT 1452:02 MST, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE DENVER FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (AFSS) AND FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM FRONT RANGE AIRPORT (FTG), DENVER, COLORADO, DIRECT TO BENTON AIRPORT (1K1), BENTON, KANSAS. THE PILOT PROPOSED TO TAKE OFF AT 1700 MST. HE FILED AN EN ROUTE ALTITUDE OF 7,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND ESTIMATED HIS TIME EN ROUTE WOULD BE 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES. THE FLIGHT SERVICE SPECIALIST ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD THE AIRMETS FOR TURBULENCE. THE PILOT REPLIED, "YES, I HAVE ALL THE AIRMETS ... AND THE WEATHER; AND I'M HOPING TO GO IN VFR. IF I HAVE TO, I WILL SWITCH IFR IN ROUTE." THE FLIGHT SERVICE SPECIALIST SAID, "OK, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY VFR FLIGHT NOTS [IS NOT] RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THERE IS SOME IFR CONDITIONS IN THAT AREA." THE FLIGHT SERVICE SPECIALIST ALSO ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD THE AIRMET FOR ICING? THE PILOT SAID, "YES." THE PILOT'S WIFE SAID THAT HE CONTACTED HER FROM DENVER, COLORADO, AN HOUR BEFORE TAKING OFF. SHE SAID THAT THE PILOT NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE WEATHER. HE TOLD HER THAT HE WOULD BE BACK HOME (WICHITA) IN 4 HOURS. THE PILOT'S WIFE SAID THAT HE SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 CST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4494X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.