Piper PA-28-180 accident near Muscatine, IA
On July 14, 2021, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Muscatine, IA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 14, 2021
- Place
- Muscatine, IA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.493°N, 91.050°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210714103481
Official records · CEN21FA320
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 14, 2021, about 1238 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N2801T, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Muscatine, Iowa. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed from Ford Airport (IMT), Iron Mountain, Michigan, with an intended destination of Nevada Municipal Airport (NVD), Nevada, Missouri. Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast information indicated that the airplane departed IMT and proceeded on a direct course toward NVD at an altitude about 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl). About 1 hour after departure, the airplane entered an area where thunderstorm activity was present and began a series of course and altitude changes that continued to the end of the flight data. Just before the accident, the airplane entered a descending right turn from an altitude about 2,900 ft msl. As the turn continued, the radius of the turn decreased, and the airplane’s descent rate increased until the end of the data. Figure 1. The accident airplane’s flightpath overlayed on weather radar imagery depicting the weather at the time of the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. His flight logbooks indicated about 227 total hours of flight experience as of the last entry dated July 8, 2020. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAirplane maintenance records were not available for review. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONI
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight under a thunderstorm, where he encountered reduced visibility due to heavy precipitation, resulting in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
More accidents in IA
- Rockwell 500-S, Nov 25, 1985
- Piper PA28, Nov 9, 2018
- Cessna 340A, Feb 17, 2007
- Piper PA-32-260, Dec 18, 2003
- Piper PA-28-140, Mar 6, 1993
Browse: Iowa · 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.
