Greeley-Weld County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Kersey, Colorado 80644
Friday, November 20, 1992 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON AN IFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT WHERE THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT WERE BASED, THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND, AND CLEARED FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE PLANNED DESTINATION, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE BELOW RADAR COVERAGE CAPABILITY. WHEN THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT CLOSED, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 12 HOURS LATER, IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE DARK NIGHT, AND 600 FEET BROKEN CLOUDS WITH FOG. STRUCTURAL ICING CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT, AND WERE FORECAST IN THE WEATHER BRIEFING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADVERTENT STALL AND LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO STRUCTURAL ICING. FACTORS WERE: ICING CONDITIONS, AND FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/20/1992
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 25
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City KERSEY
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80644
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GREELEY-WELD COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID GXY
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 11
Degrees magnetic from airport 145
Airport Elevation 4658
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 17 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 325
Weather Observation Facility ID GXY
Elevation of weather observation facility 4658
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 600
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) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 60
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 4300
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 804
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 20 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 920
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48285
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:26PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N39683
NTSB Number DEN93FA012
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32RT-300T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32RT-30
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-7887141
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 5 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2341
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KEVIN K. OPP
Aircraft Owner Street Address 918 10TH STREET
Aircraft Owner City GREELEY
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80631
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name KEVIN K. OPP
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 918 10TH STREET
Operator City GREELEY
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80631
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 LBB
Departure City LUBBOCK
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 2134
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GXY
Destination City GREELEY
Destination State CO
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 9
Runway Length 6210
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --