- Date
- January 8, 1992, 17:59 local (23:59 UTC)
- Place
- Lamar, MS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N12WPWalter R. Penney VARI-EZE
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920108000309A
- Case key
- 33052
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 in commands departure into and continued flight in instrument meteorological conditions while operating under visual flight rules resulting in an inflight collision with trees and then the ground.
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
Airline transport rated plt received two weather briefings from FAA fss just prior to departure. In both briefings VFR flight was not recommended. The acft was not IFR equipped. Plt did not file a flt plan. Flt departed and witnesses observed it enter clouds and disappear. One and a quarter hours later ground witnesses heard acft flying low but could not see it due to low clouds and darkness. A short time later the acft was heard striking trees. Post crsh examination of the acft revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the acft structure, flt controls, or engine. Autopsy of the pilot showed no evidence medical incapacitation and all toxicology tests were negative.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12WP
- Reported as
- Walter R. Penney VARI-EZE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 926
- Airframe hours
- 422
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dennis W. Owens
- Registered owner
- Walter R. Penney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 1991 · 250 hours before
- Departed
- 1M8 · Hopkinsville, KY
- Destination
- MLU · Monroe, LA
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,350 total · 250 in this make and model · 75 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MEM, 38 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.