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| Date: | Sunday 13 January 1991 |
| Time: | 14:45 LT |
| Type: |  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 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Marshall, IL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | West Memphis, TN |
| Terre Haute, IN (KHUF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI91LA070
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 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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