- Date
- April 7, 1993, 02:10 local (07:10 UTC)
- Place
- Llano, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81527Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930407008129A
- Case key
- 18279
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC. Factors were: low ceiling, dark night, and the pilot's lack of total instrument time.
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
While on a cross country flight, the pilot encountered a lowering ceiling. He decided to divert to Llano, Texas. While turning from base leg to final approach, the airplane collided with trees on the downside of a hill, about one mile from the airport. The pilot was not instrument rated. Although the pilot said visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident and the prevailing visibility was five miles, it was 'restricted to one to two miles in haze and fog' in a 'very light mist.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81527
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8016258
- Airframe hours
- 2,393
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Stabel, Max L.
- Registered owner
- Stabel, Max L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 1992 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- TPL · Temple, TX
- Destination
- T50 · Menard, TX
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,106 total · 948 in this make and model · 1,106 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 59 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.