Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lander, Wyoming 82520
Saturday, May 8, 1999 6:45 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot and his passenger took off from Lander, Wyoming, and were en route to a ranch in the Bison Basin area, near Jeffrey City, Wyoming, to hunt coyotes. There is no record that the pilot received a weather briefing or filed a flight plan. The airplane impacted a ravine in open, rolling range land in a near vertical attitude and in close proximity to powerlines. The powerlines had not been severed or stretched, and there was no evidence of electrical arcing or wire transfer marks on the airplane. A shotgun, with an open breech and empty chambers, was recovered from the rear of the airplane. It had not been discharged. The passenger was wearing heavy winter mittens.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot inadvertently stalling the airplane. Factors were his abrupt maneuvering of the airplane to avoid a powerline, and his attention being diverted.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/8/1999
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 645
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City LANDER
Event State WYOMING
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 82520
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 5
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 636 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID LND
Elevation of weather observation facility 5586
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 6156
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) 181
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 8 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1412
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:33AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4582M
NTSB Number DEN99FA075
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-11
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-11
Aircraft Serial Number 11-85
Certified Max Gross Weight 1220
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 12 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 277
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RENES N. RAMSEY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 63 ANTLER CT., P.O. BOX 1642
Aircraft Owner City LANDER
Aircraft Owner State WY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 82520
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MARK A. RAMSEY
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7 VJESTIC
Operator City ATLANTIC CITY
Operator State WY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 82520
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code LND
Departure City
Departure State WY
Departure Country
Departure Time 630
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --