Summary
On October 10, 2009, a Piper PA28 (N43620) was involved in an accident near Lebanon, VA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into known deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 2,500 feet when he encountered low clouds and fog. He lost visual contact with the ground and initiated a climbing left turn. Seconds later, he impacted rising terrain which resulted in substantial damaged to the wings, fuselage, and the empennage. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing from a flight service station that forecasted overcast ceilings at 3,000 feet and 10 miles visibility near the route of flight with conditions improving throughout the day. The pilot stated the weather at the time of the accident was approximately 5 miles visibility, with an overcast ceiling at 3,000 feet.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA017. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N43620.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into known deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 2,500 feet when he encountered low clouds and fog. He lost visual contact with the ground and initiated a climbing left turn. Seconds later, he impacted rising terrain which resulted in substantial damaged to the wings, fuselage, and the empennage. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather briefing from a flight service station that forecasted overcast ceilings at 3,000 feet and 10 miles visibility near the route of flight with conditions improving throughout the day. The pilot stated the weather at the time of the accident was approximately 5 miles visibility, with an overcast ceiling at 3,000 feet.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA017