# Accident 20090104005909A: Piper PA28160, Indiana, PA, January 4, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 4, 2009, 18:15 local time
- Place: Indiana, PA
- Airport: Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart F
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.6353° N, 79.1136° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6353&lon=-79.1136&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5212W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5212W-2017-05-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-160 (registry code 7102806, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-160) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28160
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 114 total, 114 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09LA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA124) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090104005909A

## Narrative

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

N5212W DEPARTED KIDI AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 UTC FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT.  KIDI AWOS REPORTED WEATHER AS 12 SM VISIBILITY AND 400 OVERCAST.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING AND DID NOT CHECK THE AWOS BROADCAST, AND JUDGED THE WEATHER AS ADEQUATE TO ALLOW A FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN.  HE DEPARTED AND ENCOUNTERED IMC BEFORE REACHING PATTERN ALTITUDE (2500 MSL).  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN VMC BY TURNING AND CLIMBING WITHOUT SUCCESS.  THE BALANCE OF THE FLIGHT WAS SPENT MAKING UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LAND AT KIDI, PROCEEDING LOWER WITH EACH PASS.  ON THE FINAL PASS, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER STATED THAT THEY SAW THE RUNWAY BUT WERE UNSURE HOW MUCH RUNWAY REMAINED SO THE PILOT ELECTED TO CIRCLE TIGHTLY ONE MORE TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY.  THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT WITH A STEEP TURN AND LOST ALTITUDE DURING THE TURN, ENCOUNTERING TALL TREES ON A HILLTOP APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET NORTHWEST OF AND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 10 AT KIDI, COMING TO REST INVERTED AND PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED ON A HEADING OF 055 DG. MAGNETIC.  THE PILOT’S SON DIED AS A RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 ERA09LA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA124), Jan 4, 2009: Piper PA-28-160 (N5212W), Indiana, PA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to attempt VFR flight in IMC conditions, resulting in a collision with trees during a go-around.

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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