Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Fredricktown, Missouri, March 29, 2011
On March 29, 2011, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N4085F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fredricktown, Missouri. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to attempt to maintain visual flight by descending below an area of deteriorating forecast weather to an altitude that did not provide adequate terrain clearance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2011
- Place
- Fredricktown, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4085F · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680427
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was reported missing and global positioning system data showed that it descended below 1,700 feet mean sea level (msl) 11 nautical miles south-southwest of the accident site. The airplane impacted rising terrain at an elevation of about 1,353 feet msl while on a north-northeasterly heading. The airplane configuration and the wreckage path were consistent with an impact while the airplane was in cruise flight. The pilot was not instrument rated, and the airplane's descent was likely the pilot's attempt at maintaining visual conditions at night by flying below a forecast ceiling. The pilot's airman medical certificate issued in 2007 had expired. He had disqualifying heart disease that had not been reported to or evaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot's recent flight experience and the airplane's maintenance history could not be determined due to the unavailability of current logbooks. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Other weather encounter during enroute (change of cruise level)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: XFL Palm Coast FL
- Destination: EAU Eau Claire WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 am from FAM, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.