- Date
- November 26, 1990, 13:38 local (20:38 UTC)
- Place
- Show Low, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N31638Piper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901126051989A
- Case key
- 26967
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 improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in loss of engine power, due to induction system icing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather condition and lack of a suitable area for a forced landing.
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 instrument rated pilot and his wife were attempting to fly non-stop from albuquerque, NM, to ramona, CA. They departed albuquerque at 1035 and encountered clouds, strong headwinds, and icing conditions. In an effort at avoiding the clouds, the pilot climbed to 14,000 feet. Still in clouds with a ground speed of 72 knots, the pilot descended to 12,000 feet and elected to land short of his planned destination. While diverting to Show Low, AZ, in freezing rain/snow conditions, the fuel injected engine started running rough and lost power at about 1327. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot was forced to land in a wooded area. Subsequently, the airplane collided with trees and came to rest upside down. The ELT activated and the seriously injured wife as rescued.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31638
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7837240
- Airframe hours
- 1,942
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John L. Moon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1990 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuqueroue, NM
- Destination
- L39 · Ramona, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,003 total · 400 in this make and model · 894 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 37 knots, gusting 47
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SOW, 11 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.