ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 265437
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 July 2021 |
| Time: | 12:38 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee G |
| Owner/operator: | God Speed Aviation LLC |
| Registration: | N2801T |
| MSN: | 28-7205222 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | NE of Muscatine Municipal Airport (MUT/KMUT), Muscatine, IA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Iron Mountain-Ford Airport, MI (IMT/KIMT) |
| Nevada Airport, MO (NVD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On July 14, 2021, at 1238 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N2801T, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Muscatine, Iowa. The pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The noninstrument-rated pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight. Flight track data indicated that the airplane proceeded direct toward its destination until about 1 hour after departure, when it began a series of course and altitude changes, likely due to an encounter with adverse weather conditions. Just before the accident, the airplane entered a descending right turn, during which its descent rate increased and turn radius decreased, and the airplane impacted the ground in the vicinity of the final returns.
The airplane impacted a farm field, and the wreckage was distributed in a fan-shaped pattern about 400 ft in length. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
A Convective SIGMET, which advised of severe thunderstorms and hail, was valid for the time of the accident at the accident location. Weather radar confirmed the presence of thunderstorms, severe precipitation, and 0.85-inch hail in the area of the accident site at the time of the accident. The aviation area forecast discussion described these storms as bringing marginal VFR conditions with IFR conditions in some of the heavier storms.
Toxicology testing revealed the pilot’s use of multiple potentially impairing drugs; however, no active substances were found in the pilot’s blood following the accident. Therefore, it is unlikely that effects from the pilot’s use of these substances contributed to the accident.
The airplane’s turning, descending flight track just before the accident is consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation. It is likely that the pilot’s decision to fly directly under a thunderstorm resulted in an encounter with heavy precipitation and reduced visibility conditions, which subsequently resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control.
Probable Cause: The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight under a thunderstorm, where he encountered reduced visibility due to heavy precipitation, resulting in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/wilton-fire-police-responding-to-report-of-plane-crash/
https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/plane-crashes-in-muscatine-county-near-highway-38/526-7aa0c36b-dc61-4134-8413-4ddaebcecb73
https://www.kwqc.com/2021/07/14/muscatine-county-asks-viewers-avoid-portion-highway-38-due-emergency-response/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N2801T
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N2801T/history/20210714/1421Z
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a2d088&lat=43.360&lon=-90.588&zoom=7.1&showTrace=2021-07-14
https://weather.us/radar-us/muscatine/reflectivity/KDVN_20210714-173654z.html (Real time radar at time of crash)
https://photos.flightaware.com/photos/retriever/0b603dfbe7717be6d1af10d33e8547317d3a5f45 (photo)
Location
Media:
NTSB is investigating the July 14, 2021, crash of a Piper PA-28-180 near Muscatine, Iowa.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) July 14, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jul-2021 22:32 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 14-Jul-2021 23:00 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code] |
| 15-Jul-2021 13:53 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source] |
| 15-Jul-2021 17:30 | Anon. | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Jul-2021 07:28 | Anon. | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 21-Jul-2021 07:57 | aaronwk | Updated [Narrative] |
| 30-Jul-2021 06:00 | aaronwk | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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