Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Murphy, North Carolina 28906
Monday, February 7, 1994 19:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
TWO AIRCRAFT, A CESSNA 172 AND A PIPER PA-28, DEPARTED STATESVILLE, NC ON A VFR FLIGHT TO ATHENS, TN. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 STATED THAT AFTER NIGHTFALL, HE OBSERVED THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING LOW ON FUEL, AND DECIDED TO LAND IN MURPHY, NC AND PURCHASE FUEL. HE CONTACTED THE PILOT OF THE PIPER AND ADVISED HER OF HIS INTENTIONS. SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD AMPLE FUEL AND WAS CONTINUING ON TO ATHENS. THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA LANDED IN MURPHY, AND DID NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE PILOT OF THE PIPER. HE STATED THAT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DARK. THE PIPER 180 IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF A RIDGE LINE. THE PATH THROUGH THE TOPS OF THE TREES INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the terrain. Factors in the accident were the dark night, and the mountainous terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/7/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | MURPHY |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28906 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1750 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 265 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 690 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 70 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4260 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 490 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 9 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9637J |
| NTSB Number | ATL94FA047 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-3866 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2175 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2014 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ALEXANDER, THOMAS D. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 159 LOPERWOOD LN. |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAGRANGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 44050 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DAILY, NANCY K. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3575 EDGEWOOD CIRCLE |
| Operator City | CLEVELAND |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 37311 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SVH |
| Departure City | STATESVILLE |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MMI |
| Destination City | ATHENS |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |