- Date
- February 22, 1990, 19:06 local (Feb 23, 1990, 01:06 UTC)
- Place
- Lostant, IL
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3063BPiper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900222003459A
- Case key
- 14524
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
Flight into known adverse weather conditions by the pilot and structural (wing) icing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions and the pilot's overconfidence in the aircraft's ability.
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 initiated a cross-country flight in known icing conditions after receiving two weather briefings which informed him of the conditions. While in cruise flight at 6000 feet, he reported to ATC that he was encountering turbulence. Later, he said the aircraft was picking up clear and rime ice. ATC cleared him to a lower altitude and provided a vector toward a nearby airport. Soon thereafter, the pilot reported 'we're in trouble' and then said 'we're going down.' Subsequently, radar contact was lost and the aircraft crashed about 12 miles from the airport. During impact, wreckage was scattered over a 550 foot area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3063B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7985021
- Airframe hours
- 2,387
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mark D. Walter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 1989 · 118 hours before
- Departed
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Destination
- DVN · Davenport, IA
- 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 971 total · 128 in this make and model · 816 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIA, 38 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.