Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mansfield, Arkansas 72944
Tuesady, April 17, 1990 9:09 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS BRIEFED BY THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR A VFR, NO-FLIGHT-PLAN FLIGHT. IN FLIGHT, THE PILOT RECEIVED A BRIEFING FROM AN AFSS AND WAS TOLD THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. PILOT INFORMED CENTER THAT HE WAS CLIMBING TO 7,000 FEET TO STAY ON TOP. WHEN HE WAS APPROACHING HIS DESTINATION, HE INFORMED APPROACH CONTROL THAT HE WAS ON TOP OF AN OVERCAST AND WAS TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO GET DOWN. AFTER RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WITH THIS AIRPLANE. ANOTHER APPROACH CONTROLLER OBSERVED A SLOW MOVING PRIMARY RADAR TARGET SOUTH OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, BUT AFTER IT WAS LOST, HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE ITS LAST KNOWN LOCATION, OR ITS IDENTITY. AIRPLANE WAS IN NEAR LEVEL ATTITUDE AT TREE IMPACT, THEN NEAR 60 DEGREE DOWN PATH TO TERRAIN. DAMAGE TO TREES, AND PROPELLER INDICATE ENGINE POWER BEING DEVELOPED AT IMPACT. WX IN AREA NOT KNOWN. WX STUDY SHOWS FORECAST OF HEAVY RAIN, REDUCED VISIBILITIES, MODERATE TURBULENCE BELOW CLOUDS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILINGS, RAIN, AND TURBULENCE ENCOUNTERED AT LOW ALTITUDE, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT TRAINING/EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/17/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 909
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MANSFIELD
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72944
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 4
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 850 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 340
Weather Observation Facility ID FSM
Elevation of weather observation facility 469
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 24
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1900
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 21
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) 721
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 17 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 957
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41759
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2208N
NTSB Number MKC90FA091
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 PA32RT-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA32RT-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-7985073
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 Apr 10 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 867
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROY E. HAYES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1447
Aircraft Owner City PORT ARTHUR
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77640
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOE A. HAYES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BPT
Departure City BEAUMONT
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 639
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FSM
Destination City FT. SMITH
Destination State AR
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 --