This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N9342J
- History of Flight:
On November 2, 2026, at about 1933 local time, a privately-registered Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, N9342J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Hamburg, Iowa. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight originated from the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC/KMKC), Kansas City, Missouri, at 1846 LT.
The FAA reported that the airplane crashed under unknown circumstances into a ditch.
According to preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane departed KMKC and proceeded north to an inflight cruising altitude of 3,400 ft. At about 1928, the airplane entered a descending left hand turn with a vertical rate of -1000 feet per minute (fpm) before it turned right and started a climb to an altitude of 4,800 ft. The last ADS-B data point was recorded at 1933 and showed the airplane at 4,600 ft and a -600 fpm vertical rate in the immediate vicinity of the accident site.
- Pilot Information:
Unknown.
- Airplane Information:
The accident aircraft, serial number 28-3440, was manufactured in 1966. It was a 4-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane powered by a single Lycoming O&VO-360 SER reciprocating engine.
- Wreckage and Impact Information:
The airplane came to rest in a wooded area and was destroyed during the impact sequence. There was no post crash fire. The damage to the airplane suggests a high velocity impact.
- Weather:
(1) Brief:
At 1915, the nearest airport, KAFK, was reporting winds 170 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, a broken cloud layer at 1,200 ft AGL, an overcast ceiling at 1,900 ft AGL, temperature 19 °C, dewpoint 18 °C, and an altimeter setting of 29.68 inches of mercury.
At 1935, the same airport was reporting winds 170 at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast ceiling at 1,000 ft AGL, temperature 19 °C, dewpoint 18 °C, and an altimeter setting of 29.68 inches of mercury.
At 1910, another nearby airport, KSDA, was reporting winds 170 at 13 knots, 6 miles visibility, mist, a broken cloud layer at 2,500 ft AGL, an overcast ceiling at 3,000 ft AGL, temperature 20 °C, dewpoint 19 °C, and an altimeter setting of 29.67 inches of mercury.
At 1910, this airport was reporting winds 170 at 8 knots, gusting 15 knots, 6 miles visibility, mist, a broken cloud layer at 2,400 ft AGL, an overcast ceiling at 2,900 ft AGL, temperature 20 °C, dewpoint 19 °C, and an altimeter setting of 29.68 inches of mercury.
The local area forecast discussion warned of potential severe thunderstorms between 19 to 21 local time with rain showers, MVFR and IFR ceilings conditions throughout the night.
Figure 1 shows the observations at the time of the accident, the accident site is marked with a red star.
Figure 2 shows the presence of marginal VFR conditions for the departure airport and along the route of the flight leading to the accident site.
Figure 3 shows the presence of overcast ceilings along the route of the flight.
Figure 4 shows the presence of likely rain in the area.
(2) Figures:
(3) METARs:
METAR KAFK 030115Z AUTO 17008KT 10SM BKN012 OVC019 19/18 A2968 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E T01940182
METAR KAFK 030135Z AUTO 17008KT 10SM OVC010 19/18 A2968 RMK AO2 T01920182
METAR KAFK 030155Z AUTO 17008KT 10SM OVC010 19/18 A2968 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT S T01910181
METAR KSDA 030110Z AUTO 17013KT 6SM BR BKN025 OVC030 20/19 A2967 RMK AO2
METAR KSDA 030130Z AUTO 17008G15KT 6SM BR BKN024 OVC029 20/19 A2968 RMK AO2
METAR KSDA 030150Z AUTO 18010KT 6SM BR OVC023 20/19 A2967 RMK AO2
(4) Area Forecast Discussion:
461 FXUS63 KOAX 022326 AFDOAX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 526 PM CST Mon Nov 2 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Thunderstorm chances increase through the evening across eastern Nebraska into Iowa, with a few strong to severe storms possible (5-10% chance), bringing threats for damaging wind, hail, and an isolated tornado. - Rain lingers overnight through much of tomorrow afternoon, joined by gusty winds that reach 30-40 mph, adding a chill to the air. - Rain clears out Wednesday evening, with low rain chances through the end of the week (20% or less). Temperatures remain in the 50s and 60s for most areas Wednesday through Saturday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 137 PM CST Mon Nov 2 2026 Today and Tomorrow: Water vapor imagery this afternoon features a deep mid-latitude cyclone covering the central CONUS with ridging building in behind it over the Pacific Coast. Zooming in locally, a fine line is easy to pick out over northeast Nebraska stretching to south-central Nebraska where the main cold front currently sits, with strong southerly winds ahead of it with gusts of 25-35 mph ongoing through they are on the downturn since this morning. Lighter showers/drizzle and a few rumbles of thunder have been occurring off and since this morning, with coverage of those becoming increasingly confined to far southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Those gusty winds are ushering in warm temperatures and moist conditions, setting up chances for strong to severe storms late this afternoon through the evening hours. The first regime of severe potential remains across far southeast Nebraska into western Iowa, where some showers and storms already exist, entrenched in stratus. Over the next 2-3 hours, several CAMs show some limited organization occurring with those ongoing showers and storms to form a larger cluster, bringing a damaging wind and isolated QLCS tornado risk for those areas (though the best chances remain in Kansas and Missouri). A second area of lower strong to severe potential remains close to the incoming cold front, which ends up being in a bulk shear minimum of 20-30 kts despite having a bit more sunshine and instability to play with. Boundary-parallel shear vectors with straight line hodographs indicate upscale growth with the activity along with front, with a right-splitting storm having to outrun the front to take advantage of low-levels with a bit more streamwise vorticity. Otherwise, the instability is getting carried by the mid/upper levels, where the steepest lapse rates exist, making hail the primary concern. The bigger wild card will be if any storms can develop in the warm sector, west of the stratus. That narrow corridor will be the best overlap of instability and shear, with plenty of curvature in the low-level hodograph. These storms have not been consistently depicted by CAMs from run to run, making it a more conditional risk with all hazards possible. Timing this out, there still is a lot of work to do to organize the current landscape and grow it upscale, with the severe storm chances increasing starting 4 PM, peaking between 7-9 PM before tapering off towards midnight. The best chances for storms to reach severe intensity remain across far southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, but a conditional risk remains to the northwest following the same general timeline. Once the showers and storms lose their juice, the main stratiform band of perception shifts into the area through the overnight hours and much of tomorrow morning and afternoon. Most of the total rainfall should occur with it, and even that will be limited to less than 1", but the steady release of moisture will benefit soils area- wide. Gusty winds arrive with the onset of precipitation, though speeds will be less than this morning and out of the northwest, gusting to 30-40 mph at their peak. Highs will also see a healthy dip, cooling to the 50s before falling quickly through the evening with the winds cutting a bit deeper than the temperatures may suggest. Wednesday and Beyond: By mid-week, the mid/upper pattern still feels the influence of the early week system as it slowly opens up to the northeast. We`ll be left with zonal to northwesterly flow with a prominent clipper system diving from Canada into the weekend. Highs will mellow out, remaining above normal in the 50s Wednesday/Thursday before warming slightly into the 60s Friday into the weekend. Rain chances will linger as we sweep out the atmospheric leftovers from the early weak, through this period, but no day`s precipitation chances exceed 20% as it currently sits. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 515 PM CST Mon Nov 2 2026 KOFK: The forecast period starts out with MVFR ceilings and thunderstorms to the southeast of the terminal. Expect a few hours of dry conditions, with chances for showers returning after 06Z. Ceilings fall to IFR levels as this second wave of rain moves in later tonight. North winds will gradually shift to the northwest heading into tomorrow afternoon. KOMA: MVFR conditions are currently in place at the terminal. A line of thunderstorms currently extends from KPHG to KSUX and is slowly making its way to the northeast. These storms will gradually make its way into the vicinity of the terminal later tonight. Ceilings are expected to lower to IFR levels as rain moves in, persisting through much of the rest of the forecast period. KLNK: MVFR conditions persist for a few more hours at the terminal. A line of thunderstorms currently extends from KPHG to KSUX and is moving to the northeast. This line may miss or just clip KLNK as it continues across eastern Nebraska. Additional showers are expected to develop later this evening and impact the terminal with some reductions to visibility. Ceilings are also expected to lower to IFR levels as rain moves in. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Petersen AVIATION...ANW
- Additional Information:
None
