# Accident 20011116035229A: Piper PA32R301, Spearville, KS, November 16, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 16, 2001, 18:39 local time - Place: Spearville, KS - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.8410° N, 99.7506° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8410&lon=-99.7506&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9224X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9224X-2002-05-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301 (registry code 7103218, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI02FA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02FA034) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011116035229A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## 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 CHI02FA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02FA034), Nov 17, 2001: Piper PA-32R-301 (N9224X), Spearville, KS, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and his inadvertent flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot's limited ability to see at night,… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.