- Date
- October 2, 2002, 06:58 local (11:58 UTC)
- Place
- Garden City, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3279ZPiper PA-18A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., Textron Lycoming, Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20021002031129A
- Case key
- 55845
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation and visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions by the pilot. The clouds, mist, and night conditions were contributing 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
The airplane, piloted by a non-instrument rated private pilot, was found destroyed about 2.5 nautical miles southwest of the departure airport. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Flight control continuity was confirmed and torsional signatures on the propeller blades were noted.
Factual narrative
History of flight
On October 2, 2002, approximately 0658 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18A, N3279Z, owned and piloted by a noninstrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain approximately 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Garden City Regional Airport (GCK), Garden City, Kansas. The airplane was reported missing on the same day and was found on the following day. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from GCK approximately 0641 en route to a private airstrip near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Personnel information
The pilot, age 57, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. The last entry in the pilot's logbook was dated July 13, 2002 in the accident airplane from "Gains" to "MCG, AL Al/OVEL" for a total duration 57.00 hours at a total time 2,998 hours. His last biennial flight review was dated April 22, 2002.
He was issued a third class medical certificate on March 28, 2001, with the following limitation: "must have available glasses for near vision."
Aircraft information
The 1959 Piper PA-18A, serial number 18-7199, was registered to the pilot's corporation. The airplane was last inspected during an annual inspection dated March 19, 2002, at an aircraft total time and tachometer time of 4,639.05 hours. A 100-hour inspection was also performed on the same date with a time since overhaul of 694.87 hours.
Wreckage and impact information
The airplane was resting upright on a northerly heading with its nose embedded in the side of a dry river bed. The propeller was separated from the engine and buried in the ground beneath the wreckage. The propeller exhibited S-shaped twisting and bending. Examination of the flight control system confirmed flight control continuity.
Meteorological information
The GCK automated surface observing system recorded, at 0654: wind from 020 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 23 knots; 1 statue mile visibility mist; overcast ceiling 200 feet above ground level; temperature 11 degrees Celsius (C) and dew point 11 degrees C; altimeter setting 29.97 inches of mercury.
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, civil twilight began at 0714 on the day of the accident.
Additional information
The Federal Aviation Administration, The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., and Textron Lycoming were parties to the investigation.
The wreckage was released to the registered owner's insurance representative.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3279Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7199
- Airframe hours
- 4,864.63
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Daniel A. Wiltz
- Registered owner
- Wiltz Brothers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2003 · 225.58 hours before
- Departed
- GCK · Garden City, KS
- Destination
- PVT · Baton Rouge, LA
- Airport
- GCK · Garden City Regional, runway 35, 7,300 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 22, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night
- Wind
- 20° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- GCK, 2 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.