What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Mr. Hermann was returning alone from la crosse, KS (la crosse is NE of dodge city 56 NM) to dodge city, KS on a cattle buying trip. Mr. Herrmann received a weather briefing from wichita afss at 18:05 CST. The crash of N9224X occurred at about 18:35 at night (sunset was at 17:28), 12 miles short of dodge city airport. A witness that lived about a mile north of the crash site reported that he was outside of his house when an airplane flew low over him heading southwest. He watched as the airplane turned south and entered a fog bank. As he watched, the airplane come out of the clouds heading west and crashed into a ball of flame. This witness said that he heard the engine running and that the airplane had its landing lights on during the time that he was watching him. Investigation revealed that the aircraft was heading west and nearly inverted with the right wing impacting first. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and fire, the pilot, the only occupant, received fatal injuries. (.19) on November 16, 2001, at 1839 central standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N9224X, piloted by a private pilot departed controlled flight and impac ted terrain 3 miles north-northwest of Spearville, Kansas. An explosion and post-crash fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated at la crosse, Kansas, and was en route to dodge city, Kansas (ddc). A witness observed the airplane fly over his house heading southwest. The witness said the airplane turned south and went into a fog bank. The witness then said the airplane came out of the fog bank heading west and diving. The airplane hit the ground and exploded. The witness said the airplane's lights were on and the engine was running. At 1856, the national weather service at ddc, 12 miles southwest of the accident site, reported winds 150 degrees at 13 knots, ceilings of 600 feet broken, 1,000 feet overcast, 5 miles visibility with mist, temperature 54 degrees fahrenheit (f), dew point 53 degrees f, and altimeter 30.27 inches of mercury.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MR. HERMANN WAS RETURNING ALONE FROM LA CROSSE, KS (LA CROSSE IS NE OF DODGE CITY 56 NM) TO DODGE CITY, KS ON A CATTLE BUYING TRIP. MR. HERRMANN RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM WICHITA AFSS AT 18:05 CST. THE CRASH OF N9224X OCCURRED AT ABOUT 18:35 AT NIGHT (SUNSET WAS AT 17:28), 12 MILES SHORT OF DODGE CITY AIRPORT. A WITNESS THAT LIVED ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF THE CRASH SITE REPORTED THAT HE WAS OUTSIDE OF HIS HOUSE WHEN AN AIRPLANE FLEW LOW OVER HIM HEADING SOUTHWEST. HE WATCHED AS THE AIRPLANE TURNED SOUTH AND ENTERED A FOG BANK. AS HE WATCHED, THE AIRPLANE COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS HEADING WEST AND CRASHED INTO A BALL OF FLAME. THIS WITNESS SAID THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD ITS LANDING LIGHTS ON DURING THE TIME THAT HE WAS WATCHING HIM. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING WEST AND NEARLY INVERTED WITH THE RIGHT WING IMPACTING FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND FIRE, THE PILOT, THE ONLY OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 16, 2001, AT 1839 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32R-301, N9224X, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPAC TED TERRAIN 3 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF SPEARVILLE, KANSAS. AN EXPLOSION AND POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LA CROSSE, KANSAS, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO DODGE CITY, KANSAS (DDC). A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLY OVER HIS HOUSE HEADING SOUTHWEST. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE TURNED SOUTH AND WENT INTO A FOG BANK. THE WITNESS THEN SAID THE AIRPLANE CAME OUT OF THE FOG BANK HEADING WEST AND DIVING. THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND AND EXPLODED. THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE'S LIGHTS WERE ON AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. AT 1856, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT DDC, 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED WINDS 150 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, CEILINGS OF 600 FEET BROKEN, 1,000 FEET OVERCAST, 5 MILES VISIBILITY WITH MIST, TEMPERATURE 54 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT (F), DEW POINT 53 DEGREES F, AND ALTIMETER 30.27 INCHES OF MERCURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.