- Date
- November 14, 1991, 22:33 local (Nov 15, 1991, 04:33 UTC)
- Place
- Valley Center, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N412GKPiper PA28-236
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911114051469A
- Case key
- 15272
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 spatial disorientation, his loss of aircraft control, and his exceeding the aircraft's design limits. Factors in the accident were the pilot's disregard for directives and procedures, and his continued flight into known adverse weather.
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 without instrument rating obtained a weather brief and filed IFR for a 4-hour night flight to a refueling stop. His destination was reporting IFR and forecasting marginal conditions on arrival, with an outlook for IFR. Weather remained IFR through arrival, and he commenced an ILS approach to the field. While attempting to intercept course, the pilot initiated a right turn which continued away from the field and was accompanied by a rapid descent out of radar contact. The airplane broke up in flight as result of high positive acceleration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N412GK
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-236
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7911047
- Airframe hours
- 1,924
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J345D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heck, Thomas J III
- Registered owner
- Heck, Thomas J III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 26, 1991 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- ICT · Wichita, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ICT · Wichita Mid-Continent, runway 19, 10,300 × 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 415 total · 245 in this make and model · 37 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ICT, 10 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.