Accident Piper PA-32-260 N3212W,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 132074
 
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Date:Sunday 13 January 1991
Time:14:45 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA32 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-32-260
Owner/operator:Shelby Aviation, Inc
Registration: N3212W
MSN: 32-12
Engine model:Lycoming O-540-E4B5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Marshall, IL -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:West Memphis, TN
Destination airport:Terre Haute, IN (KHUF)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
PLTS OF 2 ACFT PLANNED A FORMATION FLT TO TAKE THE WINGMAN'S AG ACFT FOR SVC. IN A WX BRIEFING, VFR FLT WAS NOT RCMDD & THE PLTS WERE ADZD OF MODERATE RIME & MIXED ICING CONDS IN CLDS BLO 7000'. THE WINGMAN EXPRESSED A SENSE OF URGENCY TO DELIVER HIS ACFT & THE FORMATION FLT DEPD W/O A FLT PLAN. EN ROUTE, THE FLT LEADER (IN PIPER PA-32, N3212W) OBTAINED WX INFO, THEN ELECTED TO DIVERT TO MATTOON ARPT. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO DSCND THRU A 'SCATTERED' CLD LAYER & APPLIED CARB HEAT; HOWEVER, DURING DSCNT, THE ENG LOST PWR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED. THE WIGMAN RPRTD THAT HE WAS ABT 2000' TO THE RGT AS THEY PENETRATED THE CLD LAYER & HE LOST SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT. ALSO, HE RPRTD HE ENCTRD SEVERE ICING CONDS & WAS 'VERY CLOSE TO THE GROUND' WHEN HE DSCNDD BLO THE CLDS. THE WINGMAN'S ACFT HAD NO RDO; AFTER DSCNDG BLO CLDS, HE COULD NOT FIND THE LEAD ACFT. HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS LOCATION, BUT LNDD SAFELY AFTER FLYING BY A WATER TWR AT MARSHALL. ABT 15 MI EAST AT TERRA HAUTE, IN, THE WX WAS IN PART: 1100' OVC, 5 MI VIS WITH HAZE & FOG.

Probable Cause: FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE PILOT(S) AND SUBSEQUENT ICING OF THE PIPER PA-32'S AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND A PERCEIVED SENSE OF URGENCY TO MAKE THE FLIGHT.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CHI91LA070
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 10 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CHI91LA070

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Dec-2016 19:25 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
15-Jan-2018 18:49 BEAVERSPOTTER Updated [Cn, Narrative]
21-Apr-2024 08:50 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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