# NTSB DEN83FA123: Piper 24-180, N7079P, Horse Creek, WY, May 30, 1983

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: May 30, 1983, 11:51 local (17:51 UTC)
- Place: Horse Creek, WY
- Coordinates: 41.410942, -105.180778 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4109&lon=-105.1808&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15989
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN83FA123
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15989/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN83FA123

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal
  - weather condition - clouds (contributing factor)
  - flight into known adverse weather - initiated, pilot in command (cause)
  - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor)
  - became lost/disoriented - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
  - weather condition - snow (contributing factor)
  - vfr flight into imc - continued, pilot in command (cause)
  - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause)
- Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering
  - altitude - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - airspeed - excessive, pilot in command (cause)
  - design stress limits of aircraft - exceeded, pilot in command (cause)
- Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, descent - uncontrolled
  - wing - failure,partial (contributing factor)
  - wing - overload (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled
  - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly

## Analysis

THE ACFT CRASHED IN ROLLING TERRAIN MINUS ABOUT 6 FT OF ITS LEFT WING. THIS PORTION OF WING WAS FOUND ABOUT 339 FT EAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE WING SEPARATED IN AN UPWARD AND AFT DIRECTION INDICATIVE OF POSITIVE LOADING IN FLT. A TOXICOLOGY RPT ON THE DECEASED PLT AT FIRST REPTED AN ETHYL ALCOHOL CONTENT OF 0.38% IN A LIVER TISSUE FLUID SAMPLE. THIS WAS LATER CORRECTED TO .038%. THIS PLT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFINGS BY TELEPHONE BUT DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. AT 1121 THE ACFT DEPTED CHEYENNE & PROCEEDED NORTHWEST. AT 1146 THE PLT CALLED CHEYENNE APP CONTROL & SAID HE WAS IN CLOUDS & WANTED A VECTOR TO CHEYENNE', AFTER A BRIEF CONVERSATION THE PLT CONTACTED DENVER ARTCC WITH THE SAME MESSAGE EXCEPT FOR DESTINATION. HE WOULD NOW ACCEPT VECTORS TO ANY PLACE OUT OFTHE WX. AS SOON AS THE CONTROLLER GAVE A HEADING THE PLT RADIOED HE WAS IN TROUBLE & THERE WERE NO MORE TRANSMISSIONS. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1151. A WITNESS SAID THE WX WAS OVERCAST AND 'I HEARD A HIGH PITCHED WHINE....& A LOUD BANG.'

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7079P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7079P-1984-01-18), registration cancelled 1984-01-18, S/N 24-2231 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER 24-180
- Registry model: [Piper PA-24](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24) (registry code 7102402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 24-2231
- Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Walter H. Kier
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 15, 1982
- Departed: K82, SMITH CENTER, KS
- Destination: PIN, POCATELLO, ID

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 76; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 234 total, 234 in this make and model, 197 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Lowest ceiling: 1,000 ft overcast

## 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 19830530021499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830530021499A), May 30, 1983: Piper PA24, Horse Creek, WY, Destroyed. Got into clouds. Called for help but lost control. A wing failed from overload. Was advised VFR not recommended.

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.