Piper PA-28-180 accident near Robbinsville, NC
On November 4, 1998, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Robbinsville, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 4, 1998
- Place
- Robbinsville, NC
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.390°N, 83.921°W
- NTSB ID
- 20041203X01907
NTSB summary
"THIS CASE WAS CHANGED FROM ATL05FA014." HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 4, 1998, at an undetermined time, a Piper PA-28-180, N2820T, registered to PMH Flyers, Inc., and operated by the private pilot, collided with trees and mountainous terrain in the Nantahala National Forest, Robbinsville, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan filed but not activated. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the flight's altitude. The private pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight departed Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH), Portsmouth, Ohio, about 1435 eastern standard time (EST) on November 4, 1998, and was missing until October 27, 2004. The flight was en route to Andrews-Murphy Airport (6A3 at the date of the accident, currently RHP), Andrews, North Carolina. According to records from the Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) in Dayton, Ohio, the pilot telephoned at 1046 EST for a weather briefing and to file a VFR flight plan for a flight from PMH direct to 6A3. The pilot initially reported an intended flight altitude of 6,500 feet above mean sea level (msl) but amended it to 4,500 feet msl after receiving the briefing. According to a transcript of the AFSS briefing, the briefer stated, "it looks like that uh mountain obscuration in the Appalachian chain could persist throughout much of the day. Use caution, mountains occasionally obscured in clouds and/or mist, mostly clouds. Uh there is some IFR forecast along the route also, and it
Probable cause
"THIS CASE WAS CHANGED FROM ATL05FA014." The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue VFR flight into IMC, which resulted in an in-flight encounter with weather and controlled flight into terrain. Factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and decision-making.
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Browse: North Carolina · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
