Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Guide Rock, Nebraska 68942
Monday, August 12, 1991 12:41 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WHO WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED WAS TRYING TO REMAIN VFR ON TOP WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED IMC AT 17,500 FEET. AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AFTER THE PILOT TRIED TO MANEUVER TO REMAIN IN VMC. THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING DESCENT. THE PILOT WAS ABOVE 14,000 FEET FOR ONE HOUR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT OXYGEN EQUIPPED, AND NO EVIDENCE OF PORTABLE OXYGEN WAS FOUND. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A PRELFIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THE PILOT GOT AN INFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING 1.5 HOURS BEFORE THE CRASH IN WHICH VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, AND A ROUTE OF FLIGHT TO AVOID THE WEATHER WAS SUGGESTED. A SECOND INFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBSTAINED 20 MINUTES BEORE THE CRASH IN WHICH A ROUTE OF FLIGHT TO AVOID THE WEATHER WAS AGAIN SUGGESTED. PILOT CONTINUED UNTIL HE WAS IMC.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING, VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC, FLIGHT WEATHER AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE NOT FOLLOWED, EXCESSIVE ALTITUDE, PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT (ANOXIA/HYPOXIA), AND LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/12/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1241 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | GUIDE ROCK |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68942 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | 1254 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HSI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1954 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| 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 | 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) | 1589 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45241 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 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 | N5145P |
| NTSB Number | CHI91FA259 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-161 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 20 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 2441 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | THOMAS K. PHELPS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR1 BOX 191 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SILOAM SPRINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 72761 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | THOMAS K. PHELPS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | RR1 BOX 191 |
| Operator City | SILOAM SPRINGS |
| Operator State | AR |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 72761 |
| 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 | SPF |
| Departure City | SPEARFISH |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 900 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FYV |
| Destination City | FAYETTEVILLE |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |