VFR encounter with IMC: Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C, N903US, fatal accident occurred on July 31, 2024, near Irene, South Dakota

• Location: Irene, South Dakota 
• Accident Number: CEN24FA295 
• Date & Time: July 31, 2024, 07:20 Local 
• Registration: N903US Aircraft: Piper PA-28-180 
• Aircraft Damage: Destroyed 
• Defining Event: VFR encounter with IMC 
• Injuries: 1 Fatal 
• Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

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On July 31, 2024, about 0720 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N903US, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Irene, South Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed from an airport where visual meteorological weather conditions prevailed. As the flight progressed, the visibility and ceilings decreased. Flight track data showed that, during the flight, the airplane began a steady descent that continued to the end of the data. The airplane struck trees and terrain, and a postimpact fire ensued which destroyed the airplane. 

Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The individual who found the accident site reported that he was driving on the adjacent road and saw the glow of a fire through dense fog, which led him to discover the accident site. 

The destination airport, about 13 nautical miles (nm) from the accident site, reported instrument flight rules weather conditions for several hours before the airplane’s departure. There was no evidence that the pilot obtained a weather briefing before the flight, and weather sources that he may have accessed before the flight were not known. 

The pilot had coronary artery disease that was associated with increased risk of an impairing or incapacitating cardiovascular event, such as chest pain, arrhythmia, or heart attack. There was no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred, although such an event cannot be excluded by autopsy evidence alone.

Based on the available evidence, it is most likely that the pilot continued flight into deteriorating weather conditions, and due to the low visibility, was unable to detect a descent and remain clear of trees and terrain. The damage to the airplane and witness marks at the accident site are consistent with controlled flight into trees and terrain.

- Probable Cause: The pilot’s poor decision to continue the flight into deteriorating weather conditions and his failure to maintain a safe altitude, which resulted in controlled flight into trees and terrain. 

Pilot Information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for single-engine land airplanes and he did not hold an instrument rating. His pilot flight logbook indicated that he had accumulated 280.8 hours total flight experience, including 124.7 hours as pilot in command, 6.4 hours of simulated instrument flight experience, and 4.5 hours of actual instrument flight experience. His most recent flight review was conducted on January 17, 2023.