Piper PA-28-235 accident near Ulysses, Kansas, November 12, 1997
On November 12, 1997 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9404W, was destroyed in an accident near Ulysses, Kansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, his failure to activate the pitot heat system, and his failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. Factors associated with this accident were: the pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing, the adverse weather (icing) condition, and accumulation of ice on the windshield.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1997 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Ulysses, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9404W · no longer on the register · serial 281110
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot encountered freezing rain during a night cross-country flight at 5,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). He said his windshield had iced up during the flight. According to the pilot, he began a descent to prepare for a landing as he neared his destination. During the descent, the pilot noted his altimeter did not move below 4,000 feet msl. The pilot continued the descent until colliding with the ground. He said the altimeter indication went to 3,000 feet msl when the airplane collided with the ground. The accident site's terrain elevation was about 3,000 feet msl. The pilot said he did not turn on the pitot heat during the flight. The altimeter static port was on the aft side of the pitot-tube. During an altimeter bench-check, the altimeter functioned normally except it indicated between 50 and 120 feet low at various altitudes. There was no indication of sticking or rough operation at any altitude tested. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing before departing on the accident flight.
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
- Flight time: 230 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 2,284 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1997; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 67KS Montezuma KS at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.