- Date
- November 19, 1982, 04:03 local (09:03 UTC)
- Place
- Mccutchanville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2161NPiper PA-44-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821119059179A
- Case key
- 71623
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
At about 0401 EST, the pilot took off on an IFR flight and was cleared to climb and maintain 6000 ft MSL. Radar contact was established at about 0402. After about another 30 seconds, radar contact was lost. The aircraft impacted about 3 to 4 mi from the departure runway in a steep nose down attitude. To the extent possible, an examination of the engine and structure were made, but no preimpact/mechanical malfunctions or failures were found. Several witnesses reported that the engines were operating at high power until impact. The total cargo load (bags and boxes) was estimated to be 399 lbs. No cargo net was found in the wreckage, but several tiedown ropes were found. The possibility of the cargo shifting was considered, but was not determined. If the cargo had shiftedfull aft during the climb, it would have been only about .5% behind the aft CG limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2161N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 447995221
- Airframe hours
- 1,444
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E1A60, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Brack, Frank & Associates
- Registered owner
- Brack, Frank & Associates
- Departed
- Evansville, IN
- Destination
- East St. Louis, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 4, 8,021 × 150 ft
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,612 total · 1,389 in this make and model · 2,453 as pilot in command · 208 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 136 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EVV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.