# NTSB DEN07FA045: Piper PA-34-200T, N8231D, Manzanola, CO, January 5, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: January 5, 2007, 06:56 local (13:56 UTC) - Place: Manzanola, CO - Coordinates: 37.917778, -103.885002 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9178&lon=-103.8850&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report September 27, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Piper Aircraft, Inc., Teledyne Continental Motors, Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 65121 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN07FA045 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65121/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN07FA045 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane after an inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions resulting in the subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, self-induced pressure to conduct the flight, and poor judgment. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, maneuvering - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - self-induced pressure, pilot in command (contributing factor) - judgment - poor, pilot in command (contributing factor) - flight into adverse weather - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - clouds - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - snow covered ## Analysis Approximately 15 minutes after departure, the airplane encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC); and subsequently, the non-instrument rated private pilot lost control of the airplane and impacted snow-covered terrain. Prior to the cross-country flight, the pilot obtained three standard weather briefings, of which two were obtained on the previous day and one on the morning of the accident. The briefings included instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions along the planned route of flight. According to the briefing conversation and a statement from a friend, the pilot intended to land the airplane prior to his destination if the weather conditions were not visual flight rules (VFR). The pilot would then "wait it out" until the weather conditions improved. In addition, the pilot informed the weather briefer that "I have to be in Houston [Texas] by 7 o'clock" on the day of the accident. According to radar data, the airplane departed from the airport and was traveling on a southeasterly heading. For the first 15 minutes of the flight, the airplane maintained a level altitude and a consistent heading. For the last minute of the flight, the airplane entered a descent of 2,500 feet per minute, a climb of 3,000 fpm, and a 1,300 fpm descent, and the airplane's heading varied in several degrees. The airplane impacted the terrain in a right wing low, nose-down attitude. No anomalies were noted with the airframe and engines. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 5, 2007, at 0656 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T twin-engine airplane, N8231D, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Manzanola, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and registered owner of the airplane, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed the Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB), Pueblo, Colorado, at 0641, and was destined for Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) Tyler, Texas. On January 4, 2007, at 1725, the pilot contacted the Great Falls Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), Great Falls, Montana, to obtain a standard weather briefing for a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from PUB to TYR with a planned departure time of 1900. During the 19-minute briefing, the briefer informed the pilot of the weather conditions along his planned route of flight which included an Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) for moderate icing that was in effect for the Pueblo area and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present in the Tyler, Texas, area. The pilot then inquired to the briefer when a storm was expected in the Pueblo area. The briefer responded, "...actually expected to move in through the Denver area sometime this evening starting around 8 to 10 o'clock. It looks like Pueblo's not expecting theirs until morning. Right now, they're not expecting any, uh, snow developing until morning in Pueblo." After several minutes of discussion concerning weather around Texas and Oklahoma, the pilot stated, "Well, it looks like I'm just going to have to go part way and sleep somewhere." Prior to ending the conversation, the pilot stated, "...ultimately I have to be in Houston [Texas] before 7 o'clock tomorrow night..." On January 4th, at 1842, the pilot contacted the Great Falls AFSS to obtain a standard weather briefing for a VFR flight from PUB to TYR with a planned departure time between 0400 and 0600 on January 5th. During the 7-minute briefing, the briefer informed the pilot of the weather conditions along his planned route of flight. The briefer inquired what time did the pilot want to leave, and the pilot responded, "...I want to beat the weather in Colorado, so." The briefing included instrument flight rules (IFR) weather for the TYR area in the morning and improving throughout the day. The pilot then stated, "Looks like the longer I can wait, the better." The briefer responded, "...as far as the Texas stuff, yeah, but don't dilly dally getting out of Pueblo you know." At the end of the briefing, the briefer informed the pilot that at 0500 on January 5th, new terminal forecasts would be available for his planned route of flight. On January 5th, at 0452, the pilot contacted the Great Falls AFSS to obtain a standard weather briefing for a VFR flight from PUB to TYR with a planned departure time of approximately 0530. During the 17-minute briefing, the briefer informed the pilot of the weather conditions along his planned route of flight. The briefing included IFR conditions in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area (located approximately 30 nautical miles north of PUB) that were moving south, moderate icing condition for the state of Colorado, low ceilings and visibility along the planned route of flight. The pilot inquired about the conditions in Houston and asked, "What is uh Houston looking like cause I gotta go to Houston by seven tonight." The briefer informed the pilot that the terminal forecast for a local Houston airport was to expect high cirrus clouds, a broken cloud ceiling at 500 feet, 5 miles visibility, and fog moving into the area. During the call at 0505, the briefer informed the pilot about updated weather conditions in the Colorado area and the pilot responded, "so I've got a, I've got a little tunnel there that looks decent right now...from what that will tell me I've got a, I've got a open shot over the butte." The pilot then asked, "...I guess my question would be is where does it look like I can set down for?" The briefer responded, "Basically anywhere in the Texas panhandle, anywhere in western Kansas..." The conversation ended with the briefer informing the pilot of the weather conditions for the Liberal, Kansas, and Dalhart, Texas, airports, temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) and the Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). According to PUB air traffic control tower (ATCT) communications, prior to departure, the pilot informed the PUB ATCT controller that he was en route to Tyler, Texas. The ATCT controller then inquired whether the pilot would like flight following for the flight. The pilot at first responded, no; however, then responded, "why don't you go ahead and give me flight following 'til I get out of this weather, although I can't climb too high, so I don't know if they will be able to pick me up." The controller instructed the pilot to squawk transponder code 0346 and reported the current weather conditions as "2,000 overcast, visibility 10." The pilot responded, "I figured I'd get out of here before the weather set in." At 0640, the pilot was cleared for takeoff from runway 8L at PUB. At 0644, the pilot stated, "I'm just at 6,700 and I'm just coming to the bottom of the clouds and I'm going to descend a little bit and proceed on course." The controller acknowledged the transmission. The pilot then stated, "Actually, it looks like it is kinda broken and scattered down here, it looks like the ceiling is a little bit higher than this." At 0648, the pilot asked the controller, "Pueblo, you still with me?" The controller acknowledged. At 0649, the controller stated, "Seneca 231D, 20 miles southwest of Pueblo. Radar services terminated, squawk 1200, frequency change approved. Have a good flight." The pilot acknowledged the transmission. No further communications were received by ATCT from the pilot. According to radar data, the airplane departed from PUB and was traveling on a southeasterly heading. Between 0649 and 0655, the airplane maintained an altitude of 6,000 feet on headings between 116 and 138 degrees. At 0655:20, the airplane's ground speed was 133 knots on a heading of 084 degrees. At 0655:29, the radar targets revealed the airplane entered a descent of approximately 2,500 feet per minute (fpm) and a turn to a heading of 342 degrees. At 0655:48, the airplane then entered a 3,000 fpm climb and a turn to a heading of 286 degrees. At 0655:58, the airplane's ground speed was 108 knots with a 1,200 fpm climb on a heading of 307 degrees. At 0656:08, the airplane entered a 1,300 fpm descent and subsequently, radar contact was lost. A friend of the pilot, who was interviewed by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, stated that the pilot was flying to Texas to visit her. She stated the pilot planned on leaving the previous day; however, because he was not instrument rated, he decided to wait. At 0523 on the morning of the accident, the friend received a phone call from the pilot and he stated he was planning to leave in 30 minutes. The pilot mentioned to her that he checked the weather at 0330 via computer and that there were clouds in the Tyler area, so he may have to wait it out in a little town. According to the friend, the clouds did not lift in Tyler until approximately 1500. At 1700, the friend got concerned, went to the airport, and made several phone calls in an attempt to locate the pilot. The friend stated the pilot made several trips in the previous months from PUB to TYR. At 1921, an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued by Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center for the accident airplane. According to local authorities, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) contacted them at 2230 regarding a missing aircraft. A ground search was initiated by the CAP and local authorities at 0300, on January 6, 2007. At ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8231D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8231D-2015-05-19), registration cancelled 2015-05-19, S/N 34-8070260, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-34-200T - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-8070260 - Airframe hours: 3826 - Engines: Teledyne Continental TSIO-360-EB 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Russell J. Mayer - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 1, 2006 - Departed: PUB, PUEBLO, CO - Destination: TYR, TYLER, TX ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2006; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 500 total, 200 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 0° at 0 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.77 inHg - Observed at: LHX, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070105000459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070105000459A), Jan 5, 2007: Piper PA34200T, Manzanola, CO, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) The pilot [privacy data omitted] departed pueblo memorial airport (kpub) for tyler, Texas in a senaca (PA-34-200T - N8231D) at approximately 0639 MST on… ## Other investigations on N8231D (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI87LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI87LA136), May 30, 1987: Piper PA-34-200T (N8231D), Plymouth, IN, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.