- Date
- December 21, 1992, 13:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Phenix City, AL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9319CPiper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921221051019A
- Case key
- 8681
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
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions. A factor was the pilots lack of total experience in instrument flight conditions.
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 private pilot obtained her instrument rating three months prior to the accident. The first instrument landing system approach into the airport terminated in a missed approach. When given a frequency change, just prior to reaching the outer marker, she replied that she was in serious trouble. The aircraft disappeared from the radar, and no further radio transmission were made by the pilot. Witnesses stated that the aircraft descended out of the base of the clouds in a nose down attitude, and a steep left bank. Examination of the aircraft revaled no mechanical nor instrumentation malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9319C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7837190
- Airframe hours
- 3,719
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Araguel, Charlotte L.
- Registered owner
- Araguel, Patrick J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 12, 1992 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- CSG · Columbus, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 33 in this make and model · 210 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG, 7 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.