Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mena, Arkansas 71953
Monday, March 15, 1993 21:20 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING IFR ARRIVAL AT NIGHT, PILOT REQUESTED & WAS CLEARED FOR VOR/DME-A APPROACH, THOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH DME. HE WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND & MAINTAIN 4200' MSL UNTIL REACHING VOR. HE STATED THAT AFTER REACHING VOR, HE WAS MAKING A (PROCEDURE) TURN TO INTERCEPT INBOUND COURSE (105 DEGREES), WHEN AIRPLANE BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. HE APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER STARTING PROCEDURE TURN, AIRPLANE CROSSED INBOUND RADIAL, HEADING EAST, & CONTINUED 13 MILES. PILOT THEN TURNED SOUTH TO INTERCEPT INBOUND COURSE, BUT AIRPLANE CONTINUED DESCENT. IT CRASHED ON RISING MOUNTAIN SLOPE ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF AIRPORT AT ABOUT 2300' MSL. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE WAS 2360'. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND. SURFACE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT WERE 43/40 DEGREES WHICH WAS CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICE. PASSENGER STATED THEY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE CARBURETOR ICING & POSSIBLE EN ROUTE STRUCTURAL ICE, PILOT CYCLED CARBURETOR HEAT OFF & ON AS ICE WAS BURNED OFF & USED AIRSPEED INDICATOR AS ICE INDICATOR.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT, HIS IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURES, DARKNESS, AND THE HIGH (MOUNTAINOUS) TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/15/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2120 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | MENA |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71953 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2140 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 10 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FSM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 469 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 600 |
| 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) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 657 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 15 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 51291 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4341P |
| NTSB Number | FTW93LA106 |
| 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-23-160 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-160 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-1842 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 4 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 52 |
| Airframe Hours | 3978 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GAFFNEY, RICHARD & CYNTHIA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3 SHADY GROVE PLACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | HAMPTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 23666 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GAFFNEY, RICHARD & CYNTHIA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3 SHADY GROVE PLACE |
| Operator City | HAMPTON |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 23666 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | THA |
| Departure City | TULLAHOMA |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | M39 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |