Piper PA-28-181 accident near Leadore, Idaho, October 11, 1997
On October 11, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N2938B, was destroyed in an accident near Leadore, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from wooded terrain in the area where he was maneuvering. Factors relating to the accident include: darkness, low ceiling, and high/mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Leadore, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N2938B · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990569
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An aircraft was seen flying to the east under a 300-500 foot overcast about 25 miles west of the accident site. At that time, the ambient light conditions had just turned from dusk to dark, and witnesses sensed that the pilot was following the road that ran near the center of the valley through which the aircraft was flying. The aircraft was next seen about 20 miles east of the first sighting, flying low over the road, and entering the west side of Gilmore Summit. When the pilot did not arrive at his destination, a search was begun. The aircraft was located in the hills near the summit. Local officials reported that during the evening, the weather had been getting worse, the clouds had been lowering, and snow started falling in the summit, soon after the time of the accident.
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: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 1997; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mc Call ID
- Destination: U02 Blackfoot ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.