- Date
- December 1, 1990, 01:30 local (09:30 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N437OZPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41373
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while on an instrument approach under instrument meteorlogical conditions, resulting in the aircraft stalling and enter a spin.
Analysis
The pilot of the Piper PA-46-310P attempted to override his autopilot during a localizer intercept. He heard the stall warning horn, misidentfying it as the landing gear horn. He stated that he then lowered the landing gear. He said the aircraft then stalled and entered a spin. During his spin recovery attempt, he broke out into visual conditions. He reentered the clouds and was vectored for a second ILS approach, which was successful. The upper wing skins on both wings were found to have been wrinkled during the event.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N437OZ
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46-8408073
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-BE, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David S Weiss
- Departed
- PDX · Portland, OR
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Flight hours
- 846 total · 311 in this make and model · 589 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point -0 °F