Piper PA-28-140 accident near Unknown, August 1, 2011
On August 1, 2011 at about 3:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4533R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Unknown. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-instrumented rated pilot’s flight into instrument meteorological conditions for undetermined reasons, resulting in an in-flight loss of control, uncontrolled descent, and collision with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2011 · about 3:33 pm local time
- Place
- Unknown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4533R · no longer on the register · serial 28-21237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated pilot arranged with a flight instructor to fly with him for the purpose of obtaining a flight review. Before the pilot’s arrival at the airport, he phoned the operator’s facility and requested that the fuel tanks be filled. The fuel tanks were filled as requested, and after his arrival at the operator’s facility, he requested that the customer service representative take the flight instructor’s name off the reservation and put his name on it because he did not want the flight instructor responsible in case anything were to occur. This comment was overheard by the flight instructor, prompting him to reassure the pilot that they would have a good flight. The pilot was given the book and keys for the airplane and went to it, started the engine, taxied out, and departed from runway 9 about 7:14 am without the flight instructor. The flight instructor, who intended to fly with the pilot later, thought that the pilot was planning to execute several touch-and-go landings and takeoffs in advance of their lesson. When the pilot did not return, the instructor attempted to communicate with the pilot on a VHF frequency; however, the pilot did not respond. Uncorrelated radar data tracked the airplane from takeoff until it was lost from radar while over the Gulf of Mexico. The uncorrelated radar data indicates that after takeoff, the pilot proceeded northwest where he orbited several times, then proceeded south, flying over the Gulf of Mexico. The flight climbed to a maximum altitude of 13,100 feet mean sea level (msl), then descended to 10,900 feet msl, where 3-D modeling indicates the flight penetrated level 2 radar returns, which are known to have light to moderate turbulence, precipitation, updrafts and downdrafts. This was the last radar return from the airplane. About 3 hours 19 minutes after takeoff, the airplane was lost from radar; a search for the airplane was initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard; however, no wreckage, debris, or the pilot’s body were ever located. The pilot did not contact an air traffic control facility at any time during the 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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,889 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 26, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gulf Air Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: JKA Gulf Shores AL at 12:14 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from BVE, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.