Piper PA-28-180 accident near Centennial, Wyoming, January 18, 2007
On January 18, 2007 at about 5:16 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N43630, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centennial, Wyoming (Rock Springs-Sweetwater County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions resulting in a loss of aircraft control. Contributing factors include the pilot's improper preflight planning and decision making, the pilot's spatial disorientation, the pilot's lack of night currency, the dark night, and the snow, low clouds, and low visibility.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2007 · about 5:16 am local time
- Place
- Centennial, Wyoming · Rock Springs-Sweetwater County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N43630 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7405210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was the subject of an alert notification. The accident site was located in forested, mountainous terrain at an elevation 10,710 feet msl. Sunset was recorded at 1700 and the end of civil twilight was recorded at 1730. The moon rose at 0639 and set at 1516 on the day of the accident. Doppler weather radar depicted an area of light snow showers along the route of flight, near the wreckage location. An AIRMET for mountain obscuration was issued along the route of flight. According to the pilot's flight records, he had logged 3 hours of night flight experience, over a year prior to the accident. An examination of the airframe, airplane's systems, and power plant revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal and correct operation prior to impact.
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: 95 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 12 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,984.6 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 1, 2006; 43.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,480 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RKS Rock Springs WY at 4:15 am
- Destination: GRI Grand Island NE
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 am from KRWL, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.