Piper PA 28R-200 accident near Vienna, IL
On December 31, 2016, a Piper PA 28R-200 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Vienna, IL. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 31, 2016
- Place
- Vienna, IL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28R-200 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.354°N, 88.811°W
- NTSB ID
- 20161231X32244
Official records · CEN17FA064
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 31, 2016, about 1745 central standard time, a Piper PA 28R-200 airplane, N2806R, impacted trees and terrain near Vienna, Illinois. The commercial pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed during the impact. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night marginal visual meteorological conditions were reported near the accident site about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Pella Municipal Airport (PEA), near Pella, Iowa, at an unknown time and was destined for Nashville, Tennessee. A witness at PEA stated that between about 1100 and 1200 on the day of the accident, the pilot came into the shop hangar where the witness was working and asked for an air tank to fill a low tire on his airplane. The witness and the pilot "chatted." The pilot seemed to be relaxed and in a good mood even though they were talking about an "unpleasant event at work." According to the witness, the pilot did not seem to be in a hurry at all. The witness did not see anyone with the pilot in the shop hangar. The pilot did not discuss his flying plans. The weather was clear and "just a little windy" at PEA at the time. Sometime after 1200, he heard the pilot make a taxi for departure call on the common traffic advisory frequency About 1740, a witness near the accident site saw the airplane flying "very" low and noted it was a "dark night." The engine did not "sound right" and the rpm was goin
Probable cause
The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to descend through an overcast layer of weather during dark night conditions, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees.
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Browse: Illinois · 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.
