20131130023879A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Rolla, ND · November 30, 2013

Date: November 30, 2013 · 19:30 local
Place: Rolla, ND
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6780F
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN14LA074
Reported as: Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine: Lycomming O360
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 250 total250 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N6780FRegistration cancelled Sep 26, 2017 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7790164 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The non-instrument rated private pilot received a computer weather briefing indicating marginal VFR conditions at departing airport with IFR conditions enroute and marginal VFR at the destination airport. Temperatures and conditions were favorable for icing. The pilot did a preflight inspection and was full of fuel at departure. The pilot did not file a flight plan. The aircraft departed the international falls airport (kinl) at approximately 1630 hours. Enroute the piloted noticed that he was losing altitude. A passenger stated to 1st responders that the pilot shined a flash light out on the wing and stated he saw ice. The pilot stated he saw ice and gave it full power and could not hold altitude. The aircraft struck small trees and all flight control surface were torn from the fuselage. The aircraft came to rest in a wetland. The pilot and 2 passengers were hospitalized. During a post accident interview the pilot stated he had lost visual reference with the ground.

As the FAA filed it

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED A COMPUTER WEATHER BRIEFING INDICATING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AT DEPARTING AIRPORT WITH IFR CONDITIONS ENROUTE AND MARGINAL VFR AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. TEMPERATURES AND CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR ICING. THE PILOT DID A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND WAS FULL OF FUEL AT DEPARTURE. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE INTERNATIONAL FALLS AIRPORT (KINL) AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 HOURS. ENROUTE THE PILOTED NOTICED THAT HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. A PASSENGER STATED TO 1ST RESPONDERS THAT THE PILOT SHINED A FLASH LIGHT OUT ON THE WING AND STATED HE SAW ICE. THE PILOT STATED HE SAW ICE AND GAVE IT FULL POWER AND COULD NOT HOLD ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SMALL TREES AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACE WERE TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A WETLAND. THE PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS WERE HOSPITALIZED. DURING A POST ACCIDENT INTERVIEW THE PILOT STATED HE HAD LOST VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN14LA074Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRock Lake, NDThe noninstrument-rated pilot’s failure to obtain weather briefings immediately before and during the flight and his continued flight into icing conditions, which resulted in the airplane’s loss of performance and the subsequent controlled descent into trees…Dec 1, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6780F · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19990502015939IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Lakeville, MNBlown by crosswind off left side of runway. Struck runway lites.May 2, 1999 · Minor damage