Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Warrens, Wisconsin 54666
Thursday, December 20, 2007 18:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The air traffic controller who was working the tower position at the departure airport reported that the accident airplane had landed at the airport. Within about 10 - 15 minutes, the pilot departed again. It was dark, and the weather was "just above" visual flight rule (VFR) minimums during the airplane's arrival and departure. The pilot did not file a flight plan. Radar track data indicated that the accident airplane flew about a 131-degree magnetic heading at about 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl) from the departure airport to the airspace near the accident site at the time associated with the accident. The radar track data indicated that the airplane was in a left, descending turn prior to being "lost" from radar contact, consistent with spatial disorientation. The post-crash inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies. The accident site bordered an area of instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions, and was within the area with marginal VFR conditions at the time of the accident. Weather data obtained from a reporting station about 100 miles east-northeast of the accident site indicated multiple freezing levels, first at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) with temperatures below freezing to 1,500 feet, and the second freezing level at approximately 4,746 feet msl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The decision by the pilot to fly into known adverse weather, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane due to spatial disorientation. Contributing factors include the clouds and the night conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/20/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Warrens |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54666 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 441259N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0902542W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1755 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VOK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 912 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24726 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 22 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 24 2008 2:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Milwaukee FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1919H |
| NTSB Number | CHI08FA054 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7780202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 9416 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Damian Fennig |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | N52 W35522 Lake Dr |
| Aircraft Owner City | Oconomowoc |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 58066 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Wisconsin Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Hartland |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 53029 |
| 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 | EAU |
| Departure City | Eau Claire |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1730 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RYV |
| Destination City | Watertown |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |