- Date
- September 2, 1991, 07:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Emporia, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6136DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910902037689A
- Case key
- 15176
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 VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his delay in taking remedial action. The weather (fog) was a related factor.
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
A private pilot purchased an airplane and flew two legs toward home before stopping for the night. He departed early the next day in VMC. Following an interstate highway, the pilot encountered fog. He initiated a turn to reverse course, but the aircraft struck rising terrain (hillside) about one half mile from the highway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6136D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4780
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dale R. Opitz
- Departed
- EMP · Emporia, KS
- Destination
- AMA · Amarillo, TX
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 23 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.