N2806R

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 31, 2016, about 1745 central standard time, a Piper PA 28R-200 airplane, N2806R, impacted trees and terrain near Vienna, Illinois. The commercial pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed during the impact. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night marginal visual meteorological conditions were reported near the accident site about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Pella Municipal Airport (PEA), near Pella, Iowa, at an unknown time and was destined for Nashville, Tennessee.

A witness at PEA stated that between about 1100 and 1200 on the day of the accident, the pilot came into the shop hangar where the witness was working and asked for an air tank to fill a low tire on his airplane. The witness and the pilot "chatted." The pilot seemed to be relaxed and in a good mood even though they were talking about an "unpleasant event at work." According to the witness, the pilot did not seem to be in a hurry at all. The witness did not see anyone with the pilot in the shop hangar. The pilot did not discuss his flying plans. The weather was clear and "just a little windy" at PEA at the time. Sometime after 1200, he heard the pilot make a taxi for departure call on the common traffic advisory frequency

About 1740, a witness near the accident site saw the airplane flying "very" low and noted it was a "dark night." The engine did not "sound right" and the rpm was going "up [and] down." He did not hold an instrument rating. He subsequently heard a "loud" crash, which he thought was the airplane. According to the witness, the airplane was not on fire in flight, and he did not see any subsequent fire or explosion. The witness called 9-1-1, and a search was conducted by Johnson County Sheriff's Department personnel. The smell of fuel was present in the area identified by the witness and led the Sheriff's Department personnel to the wreckage within a wooded area. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe 34-year-old pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate with a single engine land rating issued on June 30, 2016. He did not hold an instrument rating. The pilot held an FAA third-class medical certificate, dated May 12, 2016, with no limitations. Review of copies of the pilot's logbook showed that his last entry was dated July 24/26, 2016. The logbook showed that the pilot had accumulated 312.9 hours of total flight time, 18.9 hours of night flight time, 13.7 hours of simulated instrument flight time, and no flight time in actual instrument conditions. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN2806R, a 1969 model Piper PA 28R-200, Arrow, serial No. 28R-35293, was a single-engine, propeller-driven, retractable landing gear, semi-monocoque design, four-seat, low wing airplane. The engine was a 200-horsepower Lycoming IO-360-C1C engine, with serial No. L-15630-51A. The propeller was a constant-speed, two-bladed, Hartzell HC-C2YK-1BF model, with serial No. CH40395B. A review of copies of excerpts from the airplane's logbooks revealed that an annual inspection was completed on June 6, 2016, at an airframe total time of 6,297.3 hours and tachometer reading of 2,766.3 hours. The logbook excerpts indicated that the most recent altimeter, static, and transponder inspections were performed on June 22, 2016, at an airframe total time of 6,302.2 hours and a tachometer reading of 2,771.2 hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONA National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior meteorologist collected factual weather data in reference to the accident flight, incorporated snap chat images forwarded by an FAA Inspector, and produced a Group Chairman's Factual Weather Report, which is appended to the docket material associated with this investigation.

The report, in part, indicated that a search of official weather briefing sources, such as Lockheed Martin Flight Service and Direct User Access Terminal Service was done and the accident pilot did not receive a weather briefing from either source. A search of ForeFlight weather information revealed that the accident pilot did not request a weather briefing using his ForeFlight account before the flight. However, the pilot did enter several routes during the accident flight using his ForeFlight account. Those routes and times include Harrisburg-Raleigh Airport (HSB), near Harrisburg, Illinois, to Outlaw Field Airport, near Clarksville, Tennessee, about 1652; HSB to John C Tune Airport, near Nashville, Tennessee, about 1711; and route from HSB to Barkley Regional Airport (PAH), near Paducah, Kentucky, about 1719. The pilot did not check any weather imagery using the ForeFlight account. It could not be determined whether the pilot reviewed text weather products on his ForeFlight account because ForeFlight does not log text information requests.

The surface analysis chart for 1800 depicted a cold frontal boundary just north of the accident site that extended from southwestern Illinois northeastward into northern Ohio. A stationary front stretched southwest from southwestern Illinois into northeastern Texas. The chart depicted mostly clear skies north of the accident site and cloudy skies at the accident site and points southward. The chart showed air temperatures in the mid 30° to mid 40° F, dew point temperatures in the mid 30° to mid 40° F, temperature-dew point spreads of 3° F or less, and a south wind of 5 knots or less.

The closest weather reporting station to the accident site, Metropolis Municipal Airport (M30), near Metropolis, Illinois, was located about 11 miles south-southeast of the accident site. At 1735, the recorded weather conditions at M30 included wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, sky condition overcast clouds at 500 ft, temperature 6° C, dew point 6° C, altimeter 29.91 inches of mercury.

At 1753, the recorded weather conditions at PAH , located about 18 nautical miles south of the accident site, included wind 220° at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky condition overcast clouds at 700 ft, temperature 6° C, dew point 4° C, and altimeter 29.91 inches of mercury.

Instrument flight rules (IFR) refers to the general weather conditions pilots can expect at the surface and applies to the weather situations at an airport during which a pilot must use instruments to assist take off and landing. IFR conditions for fixed wing aircraft means the minimum cloud ceiling is greater than 500 ft and less than 1,000 ft and/or visibility is greater than 1 mile and less than 3 miles.

Marginal visual flight rules (MVFR), in an aviation weather product, refers to the general weather conditions pilots can expect at the surface. MVFR criteria means a ceiling between 1,000 and 3,000 ft and/or 3 to 5 miles visibility.

The observations from M30 and PAH surrounding the accident time indicated IFR ceiling conditions due to ceilings less than 1,000 ft and surface winds under 10 knots. The IFR ceiling conditions were present before the accident flight departed through the accident time.

Visible and infrared data from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite No. 13 (GOES-13) indicated cloud cover to the south and east of the accident site that continued to Nashville. The difference in brightness temperatures of the cloud tops above the accident site and the surface temperatures (with clear skies) to the north and west of the frontal boundary was very small, therefore using infrared imagery, it is difficult to determine where the cloud edges were near the accident site. Based on the brightness temperatures above the accident site and the vertical temperature profile provided by the 1800 high-resolution rapid refresh sounding, the cloud-top heights over the accident site were about 5,000 ft.

Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) Tango and Sierra were valid for the accident site at the accident time. The AIRMETs were issued at 1445 and warned of low-level wind shear and IFR conditions due to low ceilings and visibility in precipitation and mist. The conditions were expected to continue past the 2100 forecast period.

Area forecast discussions at 1402 and 1744 for the location closest to the accident site discussed that MVFR to temporary IFR conditions were expected to continue into the overnight hours due to the abundant low-level moisture and inversion in place. The wind was expected to remain at or below 10 knots.

The astronomical data obtained from the United States Naval Observatory for the accident site indicated that on December 31, 2016, sunset was at 1648, the end of civil twilight was at 1717, moonrise was at 0840, and moonset was at 1921.

The phase of the Moon was Waxing Crescent with 6% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated. AIRPORT INFORMATIONN2806R, a 1969 model Piper PA 28R-200, Arrow, serial No. 28R-35293, was a single-engine, propeller-driven, retractable landing gear, semi-monocoque design, four-seat, low wing airplane. The engine was a 200-horsepower Lycoming IO-360-C1C engine, with serial No. L-15630-51A. The propeller was a constant-speed, two-bladed, Hartzell HC-C2YK-1BF model, with serial No. CH40395B. A review of copies of excerpts from the airplane's logbooks revealed that an annual inspection was completed on June 6, 2016, at an airframe total time of 6,297.3 hours and tachometer reading of 2,766.3 hours. The logbook excerpts indicated that the most recent altimeter, static, and transponder inspections were performed on June 22, 2016, at an airframe total time of 6,302.2 hours and a tachometer reading of 2,771.2 hours. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe main wreckage came to rest about 43° and 0.46 miles from the intersection of Crossroads Road and Old Metropolis Road. Broken branches, branches with linear separations, the upper portion of the rudder, a ground scar, and the engine were found in a debris path. The heading from the ...