Accident Overview
On November 7, 2020, about 1918 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-22-135, registration N3606A, was destroyed when it struck terrain near Dunn Center, North Dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot's Decision and Departure
According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot had landed at the friend's private airstrip for a visit. The friend, also a pilot, reported that the accident pilot was nervous about the weather conditions and checked the weather every 30 minutes beginning about 2 hours before departure. The friend offered the pilot his vehicle to drive home, but the pilot declined. The friend described the weather as a low ceiling, light drizzle, thick fog, and light conditions as a dark night. The pilot told his friend that he planned to return to Fargo, North Dakota, but would first fly to Dickinson, North Dakota, to purchase fuel. The pilot believed that Dickinson had an overcast sky at 2,500 ft above ground level and thought that once airborne he would be able to see the lights of Dickinson about 22 miles to the south.
Takeoff and Loss of Visual Contact
The friend stated that he followed the airplane during its takeoff roll to the south using his headlights to illuminate the runway. He lost sight of the airplane's lights in the overcast and fog within seconds after its departure. He could hear the airplane in the overcast, and it sounded like it was turning back toward the runway. He then heard the airplane's engine running at high rpm followed by an impact.
Accident Site Examination
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene, the airplane struck a hill about 1/4 mile southwest of the airstrip. The inspector reported ground scars, impact signatures, and wreckage fragmentation patterns consistent with the airplane impacting terrain in a near 90° bank angle with high forward velocity. Examination of the flight controls and engine was limited due to the impact damage.
Weather Conditions
According to a weather study conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, an Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) advisory Sierra was valid for the accident site for instrument flight rules weather conditions due to mist and fog. Satellite imagery illustrated cloud cover with cloud tops up to 27,000 ft msl over the accident site. There were no precipitation echoes above the accident site at the time of the accident.