FTW02FA095

Approximately 43 minutes after departure on a cross-country flight, the airplane was substantially damaged while maneuvering when it failed to maintain clearance with terrain in a heavily wooded area about 1 1/2 miles west of the Mississippi River. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The pilot contacted the Jonesboro Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and requested an en route weather briefing, initially commenting, "Gonna head over to Tunica, VFR. I'll be skuddin it, it looks like." The specialist advised the pilot that there weren't any Airmets across the route of flight, there was nothing on radar, high pressure was building from the west, and that to the east, the area was still under the influence of a low pressure system. The specialist also reported that Memphis, located 42 nautical miles northeast and the closest weather reporting point to the accident site, was reporting broken clouds at 1,100 feet, but had just dropped down to a ceiling of 900 feet broken, 1,400 feet overcast, 2 1/2 miles visibility, and ceiling variable between about 700 feet and 1,100 feet. A Senior NTSB meteorologist reported that the lower atmosphere in the Memphis area was nearly saturated, and that the Memphis cloud ceiling gradually lowered after the pilot obtained his en route weather briefing. The 1853 Memphis observation reported a variable ceiling between 400 and 1,100 feet, light drizzle, and mist. The meteorologist also reported that it was likely that encountered instrument meteorological conditions just prior to the accident, which were similar to the conditions being reported in the Memphis area.

History of flight

On March 12, 2002, approximately 1855 central standard time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T single-engine airplane, N84719, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Marianna, Arkansas. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Adams Field Airport (LIT), Little Rock, Arkansas, at 1812, and was destined for the Tunica Municipal Airport (M97), Tunica, Mississippi.

In a written statement provided to the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the registered owner of the airplane reported the pilot contacted him Sunday night, March 10, 2002, and asked about borrowing the airplane Tuesday and Wednesday, March 12th and 13th. To the owner's knowledge the pilot would be gone for two days, leaving Tuesday morning. It was reported the pilot's route of flight would take him to Texarkana, Arkansas, Newport, Arkansas, and then on to Tunica. The owner also stated that the pilot had the fuel tanks "topped off" before leaving Springdale Municipal Airport (ASG), Springdale, Arkansas, on the first leg of the flight, which was confirmed by Springdale Air Service personnel. "They sold the pilot 21.6 gallons of fuel that morning. I know there was 50 gallons plus/minus a gallon on board from my last flight." The flight would have then departed Springdale with approximately 72 gallons of fuel. The Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) states that the fuel capacity and usable fuel for the PA-28RT-201T Arrow IV is 77 US gallons and 72 US gallons respectively.

The airplane arrived at the Adams Field Airport (LIT) shortly after 1730 and received an en route weather briefing by telephone from Jonesboro AFSS at 1755. According to the Little Rock Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), the airplane departed LIT at approximately 1812. The last radar contact the facility had with the airplane was at 1836, 47.36 nautical miles east of LIT, at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Subsequently, at 1845, Memphis, Tennessee radar identified a target 49.5 nautical miles southwest of the Memphis International Airport (MEM) at 2,000 feet. However, this target could not be positively identified as the accident airplane. There was no further communication or radar contact with the airplane.

On March 13, 2002, the airplane was reported missing and search efforts began. On March 16, 2002, at 0945, the aircraft crash site was located 14 nautical miles west of the Tunica Municipal Airport, and 10 nautical miles southeast of Marianna, in the St. Francis National Forest. The aircraft came to rest 100 yards east of a levee in a heavily wooded area approximately 1 1/2 nautical miles west of the Mississippi River.

There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident.

Personnel information

The pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating on January 2, 1997. He was not instrument rated. The pilot was issued a valid third class medical certificate on April 2, 2001. The only limitation to the medical certificate was that the pilot was to "have available glasses for near vision."

The pilot's logbook was destroyed in the wreckage. However, the pilot's most recent application for an airman's medical certificate indicated that he had a total flight time of 350 hours. According to the owner of the airplane, the pilot had accumulated approximately 75 hours in the accident airplane.

Aircraft information

The 1981-model PA-28RT-201T low wing airplane was powered by a Continental TSIO-360-FB engine, and a Hartzell 3-bladed, all metal, constant-speed propeller. Maintenance records for the last 4 years, made available by the owner, show normal routine maintenance. No open discrepancies were noted. The last inspection was the annual/100 hour, completed July 10, 2001, at which time the overhauled engine was installed. The owner estimated the aircraft had accumulated about 90 hours since the last inspection. At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated a total of 1,805.52 hours.

Meteorological information

At 1755 the pilot contacted the Jonesboro Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), Jonesboro, Arkansas, and requested an en route weather briefing for a flight from Adams Field Airport (LIT), Little Rock, Arkansas, to the Tunica Municipal Airport (M97), Tunica, Mississippi . The pilot's initial communication to the air traffic control specialist was, "I'm at Little Rock, Adams. Gonna head over to Tunica, VFR (visual flight rules). I'll be 'skuddin' it, it looks like." The specialist informed the pilot that there weren't any Airmets across the route, there was nothing on radar, high pressure was building slowly from the west, and that the east was still under the influence of a low pressure system. The specialist reported that Memphis, located 42 nautical miles northeast of the accident site and 33 nautical miles north-northeast of Tunica, the closest reporting point relative to the accident site, was reporting broken clouds at 1,100 feet, but had just dropped down to a ceiling of 900 feet broken, 1,400 feet overcast, 2 1/2 miles visibility, and ceiling variable between about 700 feet to 1,100 feet. The specialist also mentioned that there was an Airmet for instrument meteorological flight rules (IFR) fifty to a hundred miles east of the Mississippi [river]. The specialist also provided the forecast for Greenville, Mississippi, located 93 nautical miles south-southwest of the accident site, as being 1,500 feet overcast, with the current weather being 1,300 to 1,600 feet broken to overcast. The pilot then asked the specialist about "that special, uh, bravo airspace that they had at one time where they turn the cake upside down basically." The specialist replied, "yeah, it's already been taken care of. Everything’s gone to basically to what it was before." The pilot then replied, "Okay, so I can scud into Tunica then without getting into bravo area." The specialist replied, "um, yes, uh huh." The specialist then stated that the forecast across eastern Arkansas was for 1,500 feet to about 2,500 feet broken to overcast, and tops at about 5,000 feet. The specialist also informed the pilot that Stuttgart, located 49 nautical miles west-southwest of the accident site, was reporting a ceiling of approximately 2,600 feet overcast." The pilot replied, "Okay. Yeah, I think it's beginning to lift. It's just that edge of the pressure system over there." The pilot then asked the specialist about any NOTAMS (notices to airmen) at Tunica. The specialist informed the pilot that there weren't any NOTAMS, mentioned that there were high intensity runway lights on one eight and three six, and that the rotating beacon was out. The briefing was completed at 1759.

The Aviation Area Forecast (FA) for Arkansas, issued by the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) at Kansas City, Missouri, March 12, 2002, at 1345, valid until 0800 March 13, 2002, indicated the eastern half of Arkansas had ceilings broken to overcast from 1,500 feet to 2,500 feet, and the tops of the clouds would be 5,000 feet. From 2100 March 12, to 0000 March 13, the ceiling would be broken to scattered clouds at 3,000 feet. The forecast also indicated that the western half of the state would have ceilings of broken to scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, and the tops of the clouds would be 5,000 feet. From 1800 to 2100 March 12, there would be scattered clouds at 4,000 feet. At 2200 on March 12, the sky would be clear. For the outlook period, which would be from 0200 to 0800 March 13, the forecast was for marginal VFR conditions and mist.

The area forecast synopsis indicated there was a well defined upper low pressure system over southwestern Miss