- Date
- January 27, 1991, 01:30 local (07:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oppella, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N291RPiper PA-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910127001119A
- Case key
- 23245
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 failure to maintain a proper climb rate following loss of his visual references and allowing himself to become diverted during the takeoff. Factors in the accident were interrupted instrument lighting and the dark night conditions.
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
During a night departure, the airplane impacted trees 65 feet above the ground, approximately .25 mile from the runway after executing a turn left of 90 degrees. The airplane came to rest in a lake. The runway in use for the dark night departure was 20. The runway was located in a depression on top of a mountain shrouded by fog and clouds, providing no horizon for a visual reference. Examination of the airplane's electrical system revealed that at the time of impact the instrument panel lights were not illuminated. The switch was in the on position. The instrument panel lights circuit breaker was found popped. Evidence of the pilot striking the left side of his head on the instrument panel and the significant injuries to the left side of the torso and extremities indicated the pilot was reaching down with the right hand, with the left hand on the yoke, in an effort to reset the instrument panel light's circuit breaker.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N291R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-808
- Airframe hours
- 2,212
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul G. Jones
- Registered owner
- Paul G. Jones
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 1990 · 58 hours before
- Destination
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
- Airport
- MPJ · Petit Jean, runway 2, 5,980 × 73 ft, asphalt
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
- 69
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,641 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N291R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.