Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Paron, Arkansas 72122
Sunday, October 20, 2002 14:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departure the non-instrument rated pilot contacted the Automated Flight Service Station and requested an en route weather briefing. The Specialist advised the pilot there was an Airmet currently valid for instrument flight rule conditions over the route of flight, but that conditions would be improving to marginal visual flight rule conditions later in the day. A witness, who resides 1 mile north of the accident site, went outside when he heard a small plane flying over his house at a low altitude. The witness said he heard changes in the sound of the engine but said it did not sound like it was cutting out, and that it was getting lower. On site documentation revealed that the aircraft collided with several trees. Post-accident examinations of the aircraft did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented normal operations.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain. Contributing factors were the low ceiling, the pilot's decision to fly in known adverse weather conditions, and his lack of an instrument rating.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/20/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Paron |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72122 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 344731N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0924511W |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HOT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 540 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 294 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 6 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14431 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA, Fort Worth, TX |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 20 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1605 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 25 2003 11:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Little Rock, Arkansas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4353Y |
| NTSB Number | FTW03FA016 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-8406010 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 22 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1490.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KEEMO LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1707 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite E, |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cape Girardeau |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63701 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | HOT |
| Departure City | Hot Springs |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1410 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CGI |
| Destination City | Cape Girardeau |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2003 3:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |