- Date
- January 14, 1995, 13:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Marshall, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9590WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950114000399A
- Case key
- 19337
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's continued flight into adverse deteriorating weather conditions. A factor was the weather and rising terrain.
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 airplane collided with trees and impacted a mountain ridge during a course reversal. The pilot was on a VFR cross country flight in forecasted marginal VFR weather conditions. The weather deteriorated and the pilot decided to return to his starting point. The pilot flew for the military in world war ii and, at one time, held a commercial certificate with multiengine land and sea, and instrument ratings, but these ratings had been revoked by the FAA.
Factual narrative
On January 14, 1995, at 1310 central standard time, a Piper PA- 28-140, N9590W, was destroyed while maneuvering near Marshall, Arkansas. The private pilot received minor injuries. There was no flight plan filed and marginal visual meteorological (MVFR) conditions prevailed for the cross country flight.
This pilot received his flight training in the military during World War II. At one time in his flying history, he had been commercially certified, multiengine rated, multiengine sea rated, and instrument rated.
The enclosed Pilot/Operator report stated the following information. The pilot telephoned Jonesboro Flight Service Station for a weather briefing prior to his flight. The weather was forecasted to be MVFR. Approximately 8 miles southwest of Marshall, Arkansas, the weather deteriorated and he elected to return to Flippin, Arkansas. During a 180 degree turn, "I collided with small trees near the top of a ridge", and subsequently the airplane struck the ground. One wing was left hanging in a tree and the other was "folded back beneath the fuselage which came to rest on its left side." The pilot exited the airplane prior to the post crash fire, which consumed the airplane wreckage.
The pilot also reported that "this accident could have been prevented by waiting for better weather or by turning back sooner."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9590W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23037
- Airframe hours
- 3,400
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hurst, Homer T.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 28, 1994 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- FLP · Flippin, AR
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
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,400 total · 1,580 in this make and model · 3,200 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 50 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.