# Accident 20091224052739A: Piper PA-28-140, Heflin, AL, December 24, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 24, 2009, 22:00 local time
- Place: Heflin, AL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7108° N, 85.6125° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7108&lon=-85.6125&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1277T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1277T-2010-09-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 26 total, 26 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA10FA099](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10FA099) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091224052739A

## Narrative

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

THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED FROM PLR FOR A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO RYY.  THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS MARGINAL VMC TO IMC.  A STRONG WEATHER FRONT HAD JUST PASSED THE AIRPORT JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE DEPARTURE MOVING EAST, THE DIRECTION OF THE FLIGHT.  THE PILOT HAD JUST SOLOED ON 12/20/09.  HE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY CROSSCOUNTRY TRAINING.  HE HAD RECEIVED ABOUT A HALF HOUR OF UNDER THE HOOD TRAINING WITH SOLE REFERENCE TO INSTRUMENTS.  THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE STUDENT COULD NOT FLY UNDER THE HOOD. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS ABOUT 37 MILES FROM PLR.  EMERGENCY PERSONNEL NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE TIME REPORTED THE WEATHER AS HEAVY RAIN, POOR VISIBILITY AND VERY WINDY.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE WITH NO INDICATION OF AIRCRAFT ROTATION.

## 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 ERA10FA099](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10FA099), Dec 25, 2009: Piper PA-28-140 (N1277T), Heflin, AL, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during night, adverse weather conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's…

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.