- Date
- January 15, 1993, 08:33 local (13:33 UTC)
- Place
- Ligonier, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N28196Piper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930115009449A
- Case key
- 11871
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
Visual flight rules (VFR) flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and the pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude from the wooded terrain. The terrain and adverse weather conditions were related factors.
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
On January 15, 1993, the pilot requested and received a weather briefing from fss personnel for a flight from smoketown, PA, to latrobe, PA. The pilot was issued flight precautions and forecasts for IFR conditions. VFR flight was not recommended. A radar target was observed departing smoketown at 0727 EST and was tracked towards latrobe. The airplane was reported missing later the same morning and a search was initiated. The airplane wreckage and occupants were located on March 18, 1993. An examination of the accident site and airplane revealed that the airplane contacted trees at the top of the mountain and then impacted the terrain at about an altitude of 2,800 feet MSL. No airframe or engine anomalies were noted. The private pilot was non instrument rated and no flight plan had been filed for the flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28196
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7940116
- Airframe hours
- 1,893
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Martin Maerz
- Registered owner
- Martin Maerz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1992 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- 37PA · Smoketown, PA
- Destination
- LBE · Latrobe, PA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 194 total · 4 in this make and model · 136 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JST, 20 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.
Other investigations on N28196 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.