- Date
- December 15, 1988, 05:50 local (12:50 UTC)
- Place
- Arvada, WY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3110QPiper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881215054529A
- Case key
- 17573
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The pilot entered clouds and shortly thereafter, crashed near the city of Arvada, WY. The flight consisted of two aircraft, flying together in loose formation, at night, under a layer of clouds. The plt of the lead acft estimated that about 2 min elapsed when he heard the plt of N3110Q shout out an expletive. That was the last transmission heard. An air search was conducted and the wreckage was located alongside the power river. Examination of the aircraft disclosed no mechanical failures or malfunctions. The stabilator halves and the left wing were found 266 yards west of the wreckage. No corrosion or fatigue failures were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3110Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7703092
- Airframe hours
- 3,833
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-F2, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- West Industrial Electric, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1988 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- GCC · Gillette, WY
- Destination
- BIL · Billings, MT
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 107 in this make and model · 202 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 7 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SHR, 35 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.