Piper PA-32RT-300 accident near Fishers, Indiana, January 2, 2004
On January 2, 2004 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registered N21992, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fishers, Indiana (Indianapolis Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining altitude/clearance from the trees during the circling approach, his continued descent below minimum descent altitude, and the pilot not performing a missed approach. A factor was the trees the pilot impacted during the circling approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2004 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Fishers, Indiana · Indianapolis Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300 · all PA-32RT-300s on the register
- Registration
- N21992 · registry record · serial 32R-7885265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with trees during a circling instrument approach. The pilot stated, "Descended to 1340 msl [mean sea level] and continued to 20 DME but did not clear clouds. Descended to 1100 msl and broke through at south end of runway. Remained clear of clouds and entered left, downwind circling approach to rwy [runway] 15 and proceeded with circling north entry. Clipped uppermost small branches of a tree with left wing in the middle of the turn, pulled aircraft higher for clearance and continued approx 1/4 to 1/2 mile to land on rwy 15 without further incident." Weather was: Wind 190 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots; 3 statute miles visibility; present weather mist; sky condition overcast 300 feet above ground level; altimeter 29.87 inches of mercury. Remarks rain began at 1416 and rain ended at 1428. According to the published instrument approach procedure the circling minimum descent altitude was 1,340 feet msl and its weather minima was 1 statute mile visibility.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,320 hours in all; 863 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,261 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,475 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2003; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 540 KIG5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSV Huntsville AL at 5:10 pm
- Destination: UMP Fishers IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 3,850 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:33 pm from EYE, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI04LA052.