- Date
- March 6, 1988, 05:00 local (11:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mound City, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7703JPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880306004559I
- Case key
- 34545
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 PIC, after an earlier lndg at tarkio, Missouri and an unsuccessful attempt to reach his fishing partner, flew his acft to and landed at st. joseph rosecrans arpt. After contacting his friend, and catching a few hours of sleep, the PIC made an early morning departure for tarkio, located northwest of st. joseph. The PIC rptd fog forming during the flt and identification of the tarkio arpt was not made. After 2 attempts to locate the arpt the PIC modified his course to land at another arpt he had spotted earlier. The PIC rptd that fog had now obscured that arpt and he turned and headed southwest. As a last resort the PIC planned to attempt a lndg on the interstate hwy near Mound City. The PIC rptd exhausting his fuel supply before reaching the interstate and a forced lndg was executed to a field northwest of Mound City, Missouri. The PIC stated he had knowledge of the potential of encountering deteriorating wx but pressed on knowing his dest was only 20 minutes away.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7703J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-1070
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alfred Mayfield
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- STJ · St. Joseph, MO
- Destination
- K57 · Tarkio, MO
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7703J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.