VFR into IMC · NTSB CEN21LA044
PIPER PA-22-135 — Dunn Center, ND
| Date | November 8, 2020 |
| Location | Dunn Center, ND |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-22-135 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Night/Dark · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 43 |
| Pilot total time | 82 hrs · Student / very low time |
| Time in type | 78 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Total instrument experience-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-Low ceiling-Effect on personnel
What happened
The noninstrument-rated pilot had landed at a friend’s private airstrip for a visit. The friend, who was also a pilot, reported that the pilot was nervous about the weather conditions and checked the weather every 30 minutes beginning about 2 hours before departing. The friend offered the pilot his vehicle to drive home, but the pilot declined. According to the friend, it was a dark night with low cloud ceilings, light drizzle, and thick fog. The friend stated that he followed the airplane during its takeoff roll to the south using his headlights to illuminate the runway and lost sight of the airplane’s lights in the overcast and fog within seconds after its departure. He heard the airplane’s engine running at high rpm and then heard an impact.
The wreckage was located on top of a hill about 1/4 mile southwest of the airstrip. Ground scars, impact signatures, and wreckage fragmentation patterns were consistent with the airplane impacting terrain in a near 90° bank angle with high forward velocity. The airplane’s impact attitude and speed indicate the pilot had lost control of the airplane. The airplane likely entered instrument meteorological conditions shortly after takeoff, and the pilot lost visual reference to the ground, which resulted in a loss of control.