DEN71AD016

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-32 · Douglas, WY · October 10, 1970

Accident · FatalClosed
Date
October 10, 1970
Place
Douglas, WY · DOUGLAS, WY
Injuries
5 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N4796SPiper PA-32
Status
Completed · report February 12, 1971
Report
Brief approved by the director
Case key
170506

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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NTSB brief

NTSB’s brief of the accident, as it was printed: the coded facts, with the probable cause and factors.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1925  70/10/10   DOUGLAS,WYO         PIPER PA-32         CR-  1  0  0  NONCOMMERCIAL             COMMERCIAL, FL.INSTR.,
        TIME - 0810                    N4796S              PX-  4  0  0  PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP  AGE 41, 6513 TOTAL HOURS,
                                       DAMAGE-DESTROYED    OT-  0  0  0                            UNK/NR IN TYPE,
                                                                                                   INSTRUMENT RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          RAPID CITY,S DAK            CASPER,WYO
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: CONTROLLED                  IN FLIGHT: OTHER
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION AND/OR PLANNING
           PILOT IN COMMAND - IMPROPER IFR OPERATION
           PILOT IN COMMAND - BECAME LOST/DISORIENTED
        FACTOR(S)
           WEATHER - LOW CEILING
           WEATHER - SNOW
        WEATHER BRIEFING - BRIEFED BY FLIGHT SERVICE PERSONNEL, BY PHONE
        WEATHER FORECAST - WEATHER CONSIDERABLY WORSE THAN FORECAST
        MISSING AIRCRAFT - LATER RECOVERED
        SKY CONDITION                                            CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE
          OBSCURATION                                               0
        VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE                              PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE
          ZERO                                                     SNOW SHOWERS
        OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE                  TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
          NONE                                                     IFR
        TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN
          IFR
        REMARKS- RECOVERY DATE 10/18/70.ATTEMPTED LETDOWN WITHOUT APCH PLATES.BECAME LOST.STRUCK MNTN FACE.

Aircraft

Registration
N4796S
Reported as
Piper PA-32
Category
Airplane
Engine
reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed

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.