NTSB CHI92LA026 — 1991-11-11 · CHARLES CITY, Iowa, United States

Current FAA registration · N9161P

Make / Model: PIPER PA-24-260
Year of manufacture: 1966 · 25 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19670118
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ACAF7E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N9161P Piper PA-24-260 None

Probable cause & findings

PROPER GLIDE PATH NOT MAINTAINED. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PREMATURE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION AND INADEQUATE AIRSPEED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING HIS IFR FLIGHT THE ACFT HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT TWO INCHES OF RIME ICE ON THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS AND HAD LOST ABOUT 15 KNOTS AIRSPEED. HE ESTABLISHED THE ACFT ON THE LOCALIZER FOR THE APPROACH AND WHEN HE WAS 1.9 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AND 500 FEET AGL HE REDUCED HIS AIRSPEED TO 100 KNOTS AND LOWERED THE GEAR. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE TERRAIN ABOUT 800 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_CHI92LA026.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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