Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Coalgate, Oklahoma 74538
Wednesday, January 31, 1990 20:29 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS 1 OF 3 USED IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN OKLAHOMA. AFTER LNDG AT MCALESTER, THE PLT WENT WITH THE CAMPAIGN GROUP WHILE THE OTR 2 PLTS STAYED AT THE ARPT & CHECKED THE WX. AFTER THE GROUP RTRND, FLT TO THE NEXT STOP (IDABEL) WASCANCELED DUE TO BAD WX. THE NON-INST RATED PLT ELECTED TO RTRN AT NGT TO ARDMORE, THOUGH HE HAD SAID THE INST PANEL LGTSWERE INOP. HE TRIED TO OBTAIN BATTERIES FOR HIS FLASHLIGHT AT THE ARPT, BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PLT OF N9235Z DID NOT GET ANFAA WX BRIEFING. HE ASKED 1 OF THE OTR PLTS ABOUT THE WX & WAS TOLD IT WAS BAD AT ARDMORE, BUT WAS BETTER TO THE NORTH &NORTHWEST. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT FLEW NRLY AN HR BFR IT CRASHED NEAR COALGATE. A PERSON, WHO HEARD THE CRASH, SAID THEVIS WAS POOR & THE NGT WAS VERY DARK; ALSO, HE SAID A STORM OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE PLANE FLEW OVER. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN, INVERTED ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FND. THE 2055 CST WX AT ARDMORE WAS IN PART: 600' OVC, VIS 7 MI WITH LGT RAIN & FOG. THE ACFT WAS FND ON A FARM ON 2/4/90 BY THE LAND OWNER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INOPERATIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, UNRELIABLE FLASHLIGHT, THE PILOT'S VISUAL PERCEPTION, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/31/1990
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2029
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City COALGATE
Event State OKLAHOMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 74538
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NONE
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2055 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 232
Weather Observation Facility ID ADM
Elevation of weather observation facility 844
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 51
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 600
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 966
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 4 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1730
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42137
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9235Z
NTSB Number FTW90FA062
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-32-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32-40368
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 30 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 1985
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STINER, ROY E
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7711 S YALE
Aircraft Owner City TULSA
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 74136
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROY E. STINER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7711 S. YALE 1401
Operator City TULSA
Operator State OK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 74136
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MLC
Departure City MCALESTER
Departure State OK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1930
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 1F0
Destination City ARDMORE
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --