- Date
- December 31, 1983, 16:49 local (22:49 UTC)
- Place
- Preston, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2490GPiper PA-38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831231065029A
- Case key
- 33613
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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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 student plt began a x-country ftw with no directional gtro installed. He stated that he had taken the acft with the advice of his instructor who believed that the magnetic compass would be satisfactory. On the 3rd leg of his x-country, he took the wrong heading & became lost. The acft was flown until fuel exhausion occurred. Subsequently, the plt crash landed in a field after crossing over power lines near the edge of the field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2490G
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A0544
- Airframe hours
- 1,732
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thunderbird Aircraft Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 18, 1983
- Departed
- MWM · Windom, MN
- Destination
- MIC · Minneapolis, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GBQ, 23 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.