- Date
- March 22, 1991, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ashland, AL
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7523CPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910322007339A
- Case key
- 8316
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Continued VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain sufficience altitude/clearance above the wooded terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, high terrain, and the pilot's recent use of cocaine.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot received a complete weather briefing, which included convective weather information. He was advised by the briefer that visual flight was not recommended because of forecasted low clouds and reduced visibility. During the flight, the airplane collided with a mountain ridge at about the 2000 ft level. Reportedly, the mountain top(s) were obscured by fog. The pilot flight planned for a cruise altitude of 2000 ft; however, the maximum elevation figure for the quadrangle in which the accident occurred was 3100 ft. examination of the wreckage and accident site failed to indicate a mechanical problem. Toxicology exams of the pilot's blood detected 0.068 ug/ml of benzoylecgonine (metabolite of cocaine).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7523C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-76355101
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sunny Skies, Inc., doing business as Columbus Georgia Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Sunny Skies, Inc.
- Departed
- CSG · Columbus, GA
- Destination
- 3A1 · Cullman, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 208 total · 111 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- ANB, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.