# Accident 20040617013109A: Piper PA24180, Great Bend, KS, June 17, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 17, 2004, 23:20 local time
- Place: Great Bend, KS
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.3211° N, 98.7908° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3211&lon=-98.7908&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6698P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6698P-2015-05-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-180 (registry code 7102403, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A1A
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 628 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI04FA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04FA157) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040617013109A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JUNE 16, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1020 HOURS LOCAL, THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE OBSERVED LEAVING CHARLIE'S PLACE IN GREAT BEND, KANSAS. AT 1116 HOURS LOCAL, THE WICHITA AFSS WAS CONTACTED BY THE PILOT OF N6698P, STATING THAT HE WAS FOUR MILES NORTH OF GREAT BEND, REQUESTING WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE GREAT BEND AREA. THE BRIEFING INDICATED THAT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS APPROACHING AND THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. NUMEROUS WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT, FROM 50 FEET AGL TO 4000 FEET AGL, IN THE GREAT BEND AREA PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AT LESS THAN 90 FEET AGL, IN HEAVY WIND AND RAIN, MAKING A RIGHT TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE IMPACT POINT. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS FOUND THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 0735 HOURS LOCAL ON JUNE 17, 2004. AN AUTOPSY REPORT INDICATED A BLOOD/ALCOHOL CONTENT OF 0.13%. PILOT'S LOG BOOKS MISSING. TOTAL HOURS WAS SUBMITTED ON 1/23/03 MEDICAL APPLICATION.

## 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 CHI04FA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04FA157), Jun 17, 2004: Piper PA-24-180 (N6698P), Great Bend, KS, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning due to his failure to obtain a weather briefing prior to takeoff. Additional causes were the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather and his failure…

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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