Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Brooklyn, Iowa 52211
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 18:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted a cornfield during cruise flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under visual flight rules (VFR), and no flight plan was filed. There was no record of the pilot contacting air traffic control facilities or Flight Service Stations while en route. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot was a private pilot but he was not instrument qualified. The pilot's logbook indicated that he flew 0.5 hours of night time 30 days prior to the accident, and that he recorded 3 landings to a full stop. The pilot's previous night flight, which was 0.6 hours in length, was logged nine months prior to the accident. The observed weather about 26 nautical miles west of the accident site, was: Winds 260 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 2 statute miles, light snow, ceiling 700 feet overcast, temperature 1 degree C, dew point 0 degree C, altimeter 29.89 inches of mercury. The postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate planning/decision resulting in VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance resulting in in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of an instrument rating, his lack of recent night flying experience, the dark night, and the low ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/17/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Brooklyn |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 52211 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414224N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0922742W |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1815 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 325 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TNU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 953 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 37 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 700 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| 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) | 29.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 17543 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ACE-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 18 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2005 2:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Des Moines, IA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3733W |
| NTSB Number | CHI04FA044 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-647 |
| 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 | Nov 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 16 |
| Airframe Hours | 3535 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Dan Lawson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5918 W. Harrison St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chandler |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85226 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Dan Lawson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5918 W. Harrison St. |
| Operator City | Chandler |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85226 |
| 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 | PWK |
| Departure City | Wheeling |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1640 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | IKV |
| Destination City | Ankeny |
| Destination State | IA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 16 2005 4:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |