# NTSB MIA03LA029: Piper PA-28-150, N5899W, Cashiers, NC, December 14, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 14, 2002, 11:33 local (16:33 UTC) - Place: Cashiers, NC - Coordinates: 35.25, -83.166664 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2500&lon=-83.1667&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56222 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA03LA029 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56222/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA029 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision by which he conducted visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were a low ceiling and mountainous terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, descent - normal - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - low ceiling - vfr flight into imc - performed, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - normal - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command ## Analysis The pilot said he had just climbed to 9,000 feet, about 30 miles from Greenville, South Carolina, he saw the city in the distance. He said that after checking the automated terminal information service and noting that the cloud cover was reported as 5,000 feet scattered at the Greenville, South Carolina airport, he told the FAA Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center controller, who had been providing him with visual flight rules flight following service, that he would be initiating his descent in visual meteorological conditions. He said that was the last thing he remembered prior to the accident. According to the FAA inspector who responded to the scene of the accident, the airplane impacted snow covered White Side Mountain, near Cashiers, North Carolina, at about the 4,200-foot level. ## Factual narrative On December 14, 2002, about 1133 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, N5899W, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed about 7 miles west of Cashiers, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot and passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Nashville, Tennessee, the same day, about 0900. The pilot stated that he had been flying the airplane initially at an altitude of 7,500 feet, and he saw some lenticular clouds along his route of flight, so he initiated a climb to 9,500 feet. He said that as he reached 9,000 feet, about 30 miles from Greenville, South Carolina, he saw the city in the distance. He said that after checking the automated terminal information service and noting that the cloud cover was reported as 5,000 feet scattered at the Greenville, South Carolina airport, he told the FAA Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center controller, who had been providing him with visual flight rules flight following service, that he would be initiating his descent in visual meteorological conditions. He said that was the last thing he remembered prior to the accident. According to the FAA inspector who responded to the scene of the accident, the airplane impacted snow covered White Side Mountain, near Cashiers, North Carolina, at about the 4,200-foot level. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5899W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5899W-2005-02-07), registration cancelled 2005-02-07, S/N 28-2709, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-150 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-150) (registry code 7102804) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-2709 - Airframe hours: 2570 - Engines: Textron Lycoming O-320-E2A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Garfield E. Humphreys - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, October 10, 2002, 30 hours before - Departed: BNA, Nashville, TN - Destination: GMU, Greenville, SC ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 23; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review June 16, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 278 total, 93 in this make and model, 278 as pilot in command, 41 in the last 90 days, 19 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 12 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,100 ft overcast - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 29.79 inHg - Observed at: AVL, 35 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20021214038719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021214038719A), Dec 14, 2002: Piper PA28150, Cashiers, NC, Substantial damage. (-23) On December 14, 2002, about 1133 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, registration N5899W owned and operated by Mr. Garfield e. humphreys while on a… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.