# NTSB DEN77FA041: Piper PA-34, N4948F, Bigtrails, WY, May 6, 1977

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Closed
- Date: May 6, 1977
- Place: Bigtrails, WY · BIGTRAILS, WY
- Phase of flight: [Uncontrolled descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/650) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Completed, report June 13, 1977
- Report: Brief approved by the director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 158256
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN77FA041
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN77FA041

## NTSB brief

```
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1087   77/5/6  NR.BIGTRAILS,WY       PIPER PA-34         CR-  1  0  0  NONCOMMERCIAL             PRIVATE, AGE 27, 188
        TIME - 2215                    N4948F              PX-  1  0  0  BUSINESS                  TOTAL HOURS, UNK/NR IN
                                       DAMAGE-DESTROYED    OT-  0  0  0                            TYPE, NOT INSTRUMENT
                                                                                                   RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          WORLAND,WY                  CASPER,WY
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           COLLISION WITH GROUND/WATER: UNCONTROLLED                IN FLIGHT: UNCONTROLLED DESCENT
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - SPATIAL DISORIENTATION
        MISSING AIRCRAFT - LATER RECOVERED
        REMARKS- DARK NIGHT,SURROUNDING AREA UNINHABITED.
```

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4948F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4948F-1977-07-19), registration cancelled 1977-07-19, S/N 34-7770003, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34
- Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed

## 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 19770506013599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19770506013599A), May 6, 1977: Piper PA32RT300, Bigtrails, WY, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Dark night,surrounding area uninhabited.

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.

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