Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Black Canyon City, Arizona 85324
Sunday, October 4, 2009 7:25 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed under visual flight rules (VFR) for a planned cross-country flight. Recorded radar data revealed that about 50 miles east of the accident site, the flight was at a pressure altitude of 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl) with a flight path on west-southwest heading. The radar data depicted a descent from 6,900 feet to 5,700 feet msl at the last recorded radar target. The last radar target was located about 0.32 miles southeast of the accident site, at 5,700 feet msl. Review of recorded radio communications between the pilot and the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) revealed that at about 25 minutes prior to the accident, the pilot informed the controller that he was “going to be drifting down just a little bit lower to stay under the clouds." The wreckage was located within mountainous terrain at an elevation of 5,488 feet msl. Wreckage and impact signatures at the accident site were consistent with a level attitude at the time of collision with terrain. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Review of recorded weather data from weather reporting stations surrounding the accident site revealed multiple layers of low clouds over the accident site during the time frame of the accident. Visible and infrared satellite imagery surrounding the time period of the accident depicted a broken to overcast layer of stratocumulus to nimbostratus clouds over the accident site. A weather reporting station located approximately 3 miles west of the accident site at an elevation of 5,250 feet reported wind from 216 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 35 knots during the time period of the accident. Coupled with saturated conditions and 100 percent relative humidity and no temperature dew point spread, this is consistent with the station being in the clouds with instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) existing. A review of the radar and satellite imagery confirms low overcast conditions over the station and accident site. A second weather reporting station located approximately 8 miles northeast of the accident site at an elevation of 2,960 feet msl, also reported high relative humidity at 80 percent, which supported low level clouds and potential mountain obscuration in the area.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological weather conditions which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were low ceilings, reduced visibility, and mountainous terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 725 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Black Canyon City |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85324 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 320722N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1121416W |
| 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 | 708 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 332 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5045 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27169 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 23 2010 6:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7471P |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA005 |
| 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-24-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-2662 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2649 |
| Airframe Hours | 2649 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Chief LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | AGUILA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85320-0416 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ralph Smith |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | AGUILA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85320-0416 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | SJN |
| Departure City | St. Johns |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 600 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 27AZ |
| Destination City | Aguila |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 15 2010 8:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |