Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Dubbs, Mississippi, November 14, 2004
On November 14, 2004 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N56960, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dubbs, Mississippi. 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 instrument meteorological conditions and his in-flight loss of control, resulting in overstress of the airframe and subsequent structural failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2004 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Dubbs, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N56960 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7435064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of N56960 had initiated contact with Memphis Approach Control requesting permission to transit the Memphis Class B airspace. A controller stated that he radar identified the flight at 7,500 feet, and instructed the pilot to change frequencies but no reply was received. Two witnesses stated that they observed the airplane flying above them from south to north, the engine was making a "funny" noise, and all of a sudden the airplane spiraled downward with parts coming off of it. The main wreckage was located in a rural farm area and aircraft-related debris was spread over a length of 0.83 nautical miles from north-northwest to south-southeast, beginning with the right aileron and ending with the fuselage/main wreckage. The NTSB conducted a weather study and about the time of the accident, cloud bases were near 3,000 feet, and cloud tops were above 7,500 feet, with multiple cloud layers present, and visibilities of 0 miles in clouds, and greater than 3 miles below the lowest cloud. FAA records did not indicate that the pilot possessed an instrument rating. Examination of the engine and accessories revealed no evidence of any precrash anomalies. In addition, the NTSB Materials Laboratory conducted detailed examinations of the fracture surfaces pertaining to the left and right wings' forward and aft spars, as well as sections of the empennage, and all fracture surfaces were consistent with overstress.
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: 715 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 580 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,952 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L38 Gonzales LA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: TKX Kenneth MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MEM, 34 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.