- Date
- December 31, 1992, 20:40 local (Jan 1, 1993, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Brilliant, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8205NPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921231055389A
- Case key
- 33176
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-command's intentional flight into adverse weather which resulted in a loss of control. In addition, the pilot was overconfident in his ability. Factors which contributed to the accident were the weather conditions and the dark night.
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
According to the individual who fuel the airplane at aprx 1900 prior to departure, IMC conditions prevailed. The flight departed about 1930. The NWS 1951 recorded wx at the departure airport was 600 ft broken, 1,500 ft overcast, visibility 6 mi in fog. Area forecast for Mississippi and Alabama after 2000 was ceiling at or below 1,000 ft AGL with visibility of 3 mi with light drizzle and fog. The wreckage was located 1/31/93 nearly submerged in a lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8205N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25400
- Airframe hours
- 3,948
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas, Aaron S.
- Registered owner
- Thomas, Aaron S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1992 · 150 hours before
- Departed
- TUP · Tupelo, MS
- Destination
- FTY · Atlanta, GA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 157 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUP, 64 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.