Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Viburnum, Missouri 65566
Saturday, April 14, 2007 8:43 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was in cruise flight at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan prior to the accident. Radar track data indicated that the flight was on course toward the intended destination when radar contact and voice communications were lost. Communications had been routine to that point, and the pilot had not informed air traffic control of any difficulties regarding the flight. Witnesses reported hearing an airplane engine, and saw what appeared to be one or two objects exit the clouds near their location. They notified authorities, and a search located the accident site that evening. The site was about one-quarter mile from the final radar data point. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies associated with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Weather data indicated that the flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions at the time. The data was also consistent with in-flight icing and turbulence in the vicinity of the accident. IFR conditions prevailed near the accident site, with cloud tops reaching 10,000 feet msl or higher. The freezing level in the vicinity was about 5,000 feet msl, and a 70-percent probability of icing was predicted at that altitude. The pilot's logbook indicated that he had about 75 hours instrument flight time, including 5.7 hours in actual instrument conditions. He had completed an instrument proficiency check (IPC) about one month prior to the accident flight. During the 6-month period prior to the accident flight, he had logged 1.5 hours simulated instrument flight time, 3 instrument approaches and one holding procedure as part of the IPC. He had also logged 0.4 hours actual instrument time during that 6-month timeframe separate from the IPC. Because of the lack of any physical evidence suggesting a failure or malfunction of the airframe or engine, it is likely the pilot lost control of the airplane while flying in difficult instrument meteorological conditions that included icing and turbulence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of aircraft control during cruise flight in instrument meteorological conditions. Factors contributing to the accident were turbulence and icing conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/14/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 843 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Viburnum |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65566 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413705N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0910443W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 835 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 947 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23883 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 14 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 30 2008 9:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-St Louis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8969J |
| NTSB Number | CHI07FA102 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-2992 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 4188 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ida County Flyers, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Battle Creek |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 51006 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Randy L. Weber |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Charter Oak |
| Operator State | IA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 51439 |
| 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 | JEF |
| Departure City | Jefferson City |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 753 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MSL |
| Destination City | Muscle Shoals |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2008 2:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | BOWL |
| 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 | -- |