Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Blue Grass Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Harlan, Kentucky 40831
Sunday, March 21, 2004 20:50 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departing on a night visual flight rules flight, the non-instrument rated pilot telephoned a flight service station and received a standard weather briefing. The briefing included information about cloud cover along portions of the route. Specifically, the cloud cover was described as solid broken to overcast with bases between 3,000 to 4,000 feet msl, and tops at 6,000 feet. The flight proceeded uneventfully through the Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) airspace, before it impact terrain, about 40 miles northwest of TRI. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at TRI. However, snowfall was reported in the mountainous area near the accident site. The wreckage was located at an elevation of 3,050 feet. Review of radar data revealed that the airplane was cruising in a northwesterly direction, at 4,500 feet msl. The last recorded radar return was approximately 6 miles southeast of the accident site.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper decision to continue VFR flight into IMC conditions and his failure to maintain terrain clearance, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Factors were night, snow and a low ceiling.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/21/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2050 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Harlan |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40831 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 365337N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0860452W |
| Event Location Airport | Blue Grass Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LEX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 110 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 140 |
| Airport Elevation | 979 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TRI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1519 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 41 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.24 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 16780 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Southern Region Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 24 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2004 11:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Louisville, KY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8173U |
| NTSB Number | NYC04FA092 |
| 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-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R8013073 |
| 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 | Jul 23 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3439 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Crosswinds Flying Club |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bloomington |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 61702 |
| 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 | UDG |
| Departure City | Darlington |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1901 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LEX |
| Destination City | Lexington |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 8 2004 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |